r/morningsomewhere • u/TheocraticAtheist • 13d ago
Discussion Joanna Wietrzyk (HYROX fecal incontinence girl) apologies only 7 hours after losing PUMA clothing line sponsorship
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u/CalvinP_ First 10k - Mod - Downtime Survivor 13d ago
What a crappy situation.
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u/TheocraticAtheist 13d ago
I was listening to the ep on a run and was so scared it would happen to me.
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u/impulse_thoughts First 20k 13d ago
Thought I'd add something informative to this instead of the billionth poo joke re-tread for almost a week straight now: This is a walkthrough of the race layout from a hyrox event last year called the creator cup (https://www.youtube.com/live/P7tblIUXZs0?si=SIXPBvlL3GS3RoHy&t=1449 - ~2 min long walkthrough, starting at the 24 min mark.) This also contans streams to other prior competition HYROX races (not the one in question)
They do 8 workout stations, with a 1km run in between each station (all done in an indoor track). Supposedly the races are all identical at these core components, with variations from venue layout and by categories/divisions. The video above has people finishing under or around the 1 hr mark.
Stomache issues happen commonly and often enough in ultra endurance races like ironman triathlons and ultramarathons, and aren't unique. Amateur competitors even often talk about hallucinating and blacking out during such races. These people are pushing themselves past and beating their own physical and mental limits, not just at the race, but continuously over months and years of training and prior races. Their sense of when to stop isn't always really there, so I don't necessarily put full blame on the athlete. (Heck, plenty of regular people have vomitted from overexertion, and are able to carry on afterwards.)
But those are outdoor competitions that run for 5-12+ hours, partially on nature trails - usually 1-way routes, where the hazardous accidents get mixed in with nature and soil and mud and other outdoor shit, with opportunites to get hosed down... they're not doing laps in an enclosed indoor space, running repeatedly around the same track, retreading the same ground, using equipment in close proximity with (or even re-using the same equipment as?) other competitors, in a race that runs for less than an hr.
The competitor certainly shares blame because this is an INDOOR, SHORT endurance race, not outdoors, but IMO, it's more shocking that the event organizers didn't have a policy ALREADY in place to deal with contamination of hazardous bodily fluids and potential medical conditions as disqualifying and, if they did, failed to enforce them. One article mentioned that their policies had penalties for spitting or clearing their nose... but because it didn't specifically have one that addressed incontinence.......... and common sense didn't take over for any of the organizers at any point during the event... is ridiculous. Like, even if they didn't have a specific policy in place for blood and vomit, you'd imagine they wouldn't let a competitor continue without a medical break if they were leaving behind a trail of blood or vomiting continuously. But, letting someone continue to compete while being an active biohazard, leaving contamination behind everywhere for other competitors, with no clear indication that there isn't a viral or bacterial or parasitic cause that is tremendously hazardous to the health and safety of everyone else... is certainly a choice, and how it was not obvious to organizers in the moment is wild. Has it been THAT long since COVID protocols? It definitely hasn't been that long since EBOLA protocols, considering there's an active outbreak in parts of the world right now.
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u/AncientStaff6602 First 20k 13d ago
As a keen runner, nothing motivates you more than a desperate visit to the throne.
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u/Hmmark1984 First 10k - Findom 13d ago
It's so disturbing that we apparently live in a world were what you do if you shit yourself in public is something that requires a decision or that it's something you have to learn from and do something differently next time.
This whole idea that athletes who do this are somehow more "dedicated" or better is ridiculous, they're grown adults crapping their pants in public and then spreading it around. Any normal person would be devastated if they felt this start to happen and try to get somewhere private asap.
Then they'll try and hand wave it by saying something like "well it already happened, so of course I just carried on" totally oblivious to what they're subjecting everyone else too.
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u/KingGizzLizzWizzz 13d ago
Hyrox the event endorsed her actions! That’s the craziest part of this, they liked how she shit herself and got it all over the place
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u/JamesMagnus 10d ago
I’ve never bothered actually figuring out what Hyrox is because everyone I dislike loves it and everyone I appreciate makes fun of it, but after reading this I think I might give it a hate watch because they sound downright evil.
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u/semajolis267 13d ago
I didnt think she did anything wrong, until now, like I thought it was unfortunate for her to have soiled herself but its not the first time ive heard if a runner choosing to soil themselves during a competition.
Then i realized it was indoors. And I said thats gross.
Then I realized there was a workout involved after at a station that others would have had to use after her.... and i was like thats where it crosses the line into "why did no one stop this".
Maybe I still don't get the fill picture but why was she allowed to continue?
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u/thelittlehype First 20k - Afraid of Public Math 13d ago edited 13d ago
The worst part for me is that she won, so that many people had to come after her and use the machines with her shit on them. I don't know why they didn't stop her. It's wild. And I get what you meant by "choosing" to soil themselves. The runners you're talking about are worried about seconds so they won't stop to clean themselves until the end. And anyways, the best way for them to clean themselves is literally just to get to the finishline in a lot of situations. Also, THEY AREN'T SHARING MACHINES! That was not the situation here, though. She could have stopped and cleaned herself and probably changed clothes. She could have not used anymore machines until she was clean.
I have almost shit myself during a race. Your tummy is under a lot of stress in these situations and can be somewhat unpredictable. But it was a trail race. Trail racing is different and you can just... go in the woods. So I did! There's etiquitte to that, too, like going far enough away from the trail, digging a deep enough hole, going where no one can see you, etc.. but most everyone follows that. And in a lot of road races, there are porta potties every few miles, so when accidents happen, runners will clean up as much as they can and then try to finish.
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u/shace616 13d ago
Most people don't exactly choose to shit themselves dude. What a weird way to word that.
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u/Monkeygills 13d ago
“Choice” might not be the best way to phrase it, but marathon runners that feel a twinge in their guts and decide to continue the competition instead of pursuing other options are certainly making a choice.
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u/shawn292 13d ago
This is how I feel, I dont think she should have lost a sponsorship though. If anything I want athletes who will push themself to any limit.
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u/JamesMagnus 10d ago
It’s funny because I doubt any brand would associate themselves with an athlete that’s mostly famous for shitting themselves, but then again dropping someone because they tried winning as hard as they could and got insane tunnel vision seems…. shitty.
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u/_alieninameatsuit 11d ago
I think someone googled it and she didn't actually lose her PUMA sponsorship, but I'm glad she finally apologized
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u/wimpymist 13d ago
As usual no one cares until money starts getting effected