Start of season postponed

Glandular fever slows down triathlon talent

Linda Hehenwarter.

(Bild: TaborTriathlon)

Linda Hehenwarter is regarded as a future hope in Salzburg triathlon. However, the start of the season for 2025 has been postponed. Instead of winter training, she had to stay in bed with mononucleosis. But her goals are still high.

One and a half months of training in winter are a waste of time for triathlon talent Linda Hehenwarter. Pfeiffer's glandular fever slowed the Hallein native down for a few weeks. "I'm doing quite well again now," says the 19-year-old, taking a deep breath. She was lucky with the illness, which can often take weeks or months to recover. "I didn't feel that tired. But my spleen was almost twice as big," reports the Tri-Team Halle athlete, who nevertheless sees the positive side: "I was able to do more for my law degree."

She is now back in full training. The sometimes cold temperatures didn't bother her at all. "As soon as it's above zero, I ride outside. I'm the kind of person who doesn't like to ride indoors," says Hehenwarter, who doesn't shy away from almost any weather conditions. She won't have to worry about them any more soon anyway. In a week's time, she and her boyfriend will be flying to Greece for a training camp.

Six good races
She wants to be in good shape for the start of her season on May 10th. At the Continental Cup in Algeria, she has important points to collect, because: "My goal this year is to get into the top 200 in the world rankings." She is currently ranked 560th, so she has to overtake at least 360 athletes. Sounds like a lot, but it's not, as the 19-year-old explains: "I need six races with good points."

On her way there, she will take her subscribers with her on social media, even if success there is still lacking. "I'm trying, but it's not working yet. The reels have a relatively high reach, but the number of followers isn't increasing," sighs Hehenwarter.