Shanda Hill of Vernon at the Deca ultra triathlon world championship in Switzerland. (Facebook/Shanda Hill/ultra athlete)

By Pete McIntyre

world championship

UPDATE: Shanda Hill pulls out of Swiss Deca

Aug 16, 2022 | 9:30 AM

Vernon’s Shanda Hill has had to pull out of the Deca Ultra Triathlon world championships in Switzerland.

The Vernon ultra athlete said on her Facebook page, after finishing the swim, the chlorine was seriously affecting her lungs and she found herself out of breath during the cycling portion.

Hill says she tried again the next day but decided to pull out of the race for her health.

“It was such a hard decision for her because her mind wanted to race, but her body was not letting her do it. She wanted me to thank you all for your support, and she looks forward to trying again,” said a posting on her Facebook page.

Hill gave a special thank you to her 17-year-old son, Tyrese Hill, who stayed at her side at the pool all night, giving her support.

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She also thanked Rancho Vignola for all of the support they have given to her to make her racing possible.

Shanda Hill and her son Tyrese (Photo credit: Facebook/Shanda Hill)

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Hill fights off sickness for good start at Swiss Deca
August 15, 2022

Shanda Hill is out of the water…and onto the wheels.

The Vernon ultra athlete is coming off a two-year pandemic layoff as she competes in the International Ultra Triathlon Association World Championship in Buchs, Switzerland.

Hill is taking part in a continuous Deca ultra triathlon, the equivalent of ten triathlons in a row, which started Sunday,
Aug. 14, and continues until Aug. 29. The total distance of the race is 2,260-km starting with a 38-km swim, then 1,800-km of cycling and ending with a 422-km run.

Shanda Hill of Vernon waves for the camera as she competes in the Deca world championship in Buchs, Switzerland. (Facebook/Shanda Hill ultra athlete)

According to her Facebook page, Hill was leading the woman in the swimming and had a strong first 13 hours, but then encountered problems while swimming at night.

“The nighttime gets very cold after being in the water for a long time,” said a posting. “She had to hop out into a hot shower during the night to bring her core temperature back up. She had a hot drink offered to her in the night with caffeine, and she did not respond well and became violently ill for hours.”

Despite that, Hill pushed ahead and finished the 38-km swim in 22 hours, 55 minutes, and 01 second, and came out of the water with a smile, and is now on the cycling portion, her favourite of the three disciplines.

“She said the one thing pushing her through the night was she had to show Leah Goldstein what she could do on her bike, which Leah has been a huge help in preparing Shanda for this leg of her journey,” the posting added.

“Proud doesn’t even begin to describe how we feel about you, Shanda,” wrote one person in the Facebook comments. “So determined. You go girl. Cheering you on,” said another. “Go, Shanda! We are so proud of you!,” another Hill fan commented.

Hill’s mother, Arleigh Hill in Vernon, says Shanda’s 17-year-old son, Tyrese Hill, who plays football for Vernon Secondary, is serving as her “crew” in Switzerland.

“He’s the one that is going to be watching her and making sure she drinks enough and that sort of stuff,” Arleigh Hill told Vernon Matters.

Arleigh says Hill’s partner, Jacs Spence, who normally goes with her to events, couldn’t get time off work to go to Switzerland.