After a near-fatal accident the Dane is back to her winning ways. Starting the 2014 IRONMAN season, the Danish pro triathlete celebrated a superior win at the IRONMAN 70.3 Barcelona. Step by step she constantly hammered away from the rest of the field in Barcelona—in the end she had to wait more than 17 minutes to congratulate German runner-up Katja Konschak. It was a great comeback and an unbelievable individual victory after an inspiring fight back to professional racing. "Winners never quit, quitters never win," says Pedersen.
Last summer Pedersen reached a climax to her career. She not only earned a spot for the IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona at the IRONMAN European championship in Frankfurt, but surprisingly took the European crown in an impressive 8:56:01. Four years after starting her triathlon career she seemed to be on the way to the top in Kona. On September 3rd, though, a horrible crash while she was on her bike in her home town of Esbjerg stopped everything. Due to the injuries she sustained in the crash the medical staff kept her in an induced coma. She suffered skull fractures and was in critical condition for a long time. After 19 days the doctors woke her from the induced coma. It wasn't until six weeks after the crash that she was given permission to stay in her own home for a weekend—under supervision.
Three months later Pedersen wrote a comment on her webpage: “This is the first week on my bike since the accident, first time on the running course, and back in the water. So it’s all slowly improving.” This was on January 30th, almost six months after her horrible crash. It was a highlight moment for Pedersen’s fans and an inspiring comment for anyone who has had to fight back after an injury. "I was given a second chance in life and intend to enjoy every moment of it for the rest of my life," Pedersen said in January. "I just love being back and doing the things I love."
In March Pedersen did her first 120 kilometer bike ride since the crash. She called this a "something special with 20" day. First there was the 120 kilometer bike ride, then she headed into the water to do a 20 x 200 meter workout before she concluded this training day with a run that included 20 x 400 meter repeats. It was a sign that she was on her way back to the top. In Barcelona she took the next step, her first IRONMAN 70.3 victory during the second stage of her career.
For the 30-year old Dane it is the sign of a new beginning. Who knows, maybe her best is still to come.