Eli Iserbyt shares a moving message about the injury that continues to bother him: “I have learned to live with this pain”

After the X2O cross in Herentals, Piriformis syndrome was again affecting Eli Iserbyt. That’s a pinched nerve in the left leg. The Pauwels Sauzen – Bingoal rider nevertheless started in Namur, but had to give up before the second part of the race due to the injury.

Iserbyt announced in a press release from the team that he will be at the start next Saturday in Hulst, the Netherlands. Two days before the match, the reigning World Cup winner tells his story on Instagram.

“The ‘enemy’ in me sometimes takes the upper hand”

“It started two years ago. In 2022 I started the season with discomfort in my left leg. I didn’t attach too much importance to it. It would pass, I thought. Unfortunately, little did I know that this would be the start of a frustrating search for some relief. The uncomfortable feeling turned into pain. Which would then have a negative impact on my strength. After many frustrating moments, I was left with a lot of unanswered questions: what is it and what can I do about it? The pain was and is always there. A nerve in my left leg is the culprit. But what exactly ignites it? To this day, I still have no answer.”

“At the beginning of my career I wanted to push my body as far as possible. I wanted to aim for the highest possible level at every cross and always outdo my main enemy. Now that enemy lurks in my body. I’ve been fighting him for two years now. With the help of people around me, we managed to suppress the pain and keep my loss of strength as low as possible. But sometimes ‘the enemy’ takes the upper hand and the pain is unbearable. That happened last Sunday in Namur. Ceasing the fight early was the only right decision. I have learned to live with this pain. I have tried to give it a place. This pain has caused me to lose matches, but most importantly, it has also won me matches. The feeling of victory gives me the confidence to keep training and keep pushing.”

“Every day I train to make my loved ones proud. Those who help me through this. From my wife, to the team, trainer, doctors, physiotherapists and the mental coaches. They all play a significant role. This is not an injury, this has become a way of life for two years. I remain hopeful for the future and, as always, I will put my best foot forward to achieve the highest possible results,” Iserbyt concludes on a positive note.