How Siri’s hip replacement got her back on track for a triathlon

A real pain in the hip

As an active sportsperson, Siri recognised the usual aches and pains that exercise can bring about. But after a regular commute, she felt a pain in her hip that was different.

“I got off my bike after cycling to work and noticed a pain in my hip,” Siri recalls. “The pain didn’t go away. It got worse and worse, and very quickly.”

After months of pain, Siri recognised that this wasn’t a typical sports injury that would sort itself with rest, and decided to see a sports and exercise medicine consultant for some initial diagnostic scans. After an MRI, Siri was referred to a surgeon who told her she’d need a hip replacement. Siri couldn’t believe it. “It was a shock,” Siri says. “After hearing that, I wasn’t very receptive to having surgery. To me, a hip replacement is what you have when you’re 80 or 90 years old.”

But despite her initial shock and reluctance to have a hip replacement, she realised having one could be the right decision. “I couldn’t be in this pain, and I have young kids,” she says. “I wanted to be able to run with them and do sports.” 

A sporting inspiration

After getting home, Siri was convinced to enquire about her hip replacement after hearing about a famous sportsperson who had a similar surgery. “My husband told me that Andy Murray had a hip resurfacing for a problem very similar to mine,” Siri recalls. “There was a documentary about it, so we watched it together.” After seeing this, Siri realised that hip replacements in younger people, especially those as active as her, were more common than she thought.

This realisation pushed Siri to find out more about hip replacements and where to go for hers. One of the consultants featured in this documentary was Miss Sarah Muirhead-Allwood, consultant orthopaedic surgeon at The London Hip Unit at The Princess Grace Hospital. After researching the unit, Siri decided to give them a call and arrange an appointment. 

At The London Hip Unit, Siri was introduced to Mr Alastair Dick, the consultant orthopaedic surgeon who’d be doing her surgery. “He made me feel that a hip replacement was right for me and he helped me understand why,” she says. “It made me feel very comfortable and the care felt bespoke to me.” 

Getting back on track to pain-free movement

At the end of 2024, Siri had her surgery at The Princess Grace Hospital. During the surgery, Mr Dick removed the damaged ball at the top of her right femur and replaced her hip with a state-of-the-art prosthesis. Siri’s surgery went smoothly and she could start her recovery almost right away. “The evening after the surgery I was able to walk,” she remembers, “and I didn’t have any pain.” 

After an overnight stay, Siri began her recovery the next morning with support from a physiotherapist at the hospital who helped her get moving again. “It was all very personalised and he was very encouraging while I was doing my exercises,” she says. “The morning after my surgery I was walking up stairs!”

Not only was Siri back to pain-free movement, but her surgery had a positive impact on her mindset as well. “It was a great experience, going from being reluctant to have surgery, to researching it and finding the right people, to then having the surgery,” she says. “It’s made me much stronger as a person.” 

An Olympic-level recovery

Siri was given a recovery plan that included exercises to get used to her new hip, and guidelines of what to do and what to avoid. Siri’s plan was tailored to her, encouraging her to stay active while avoiding high-impact exercise like running for six months. After three months, Siri was feeling much better and demonstrated her progress in a check-up with Mr Dick. “It felt like he had a real interest in me and that he cared about my recovery,” says Siri. “It was a great team effort from everyone at the hospital. They worked together to make it a success.”

Following the team’s guidance, Siri had a smooth recovery, pushing herself when she was ready to. Although she was keen to get right back into her active lifestyle, Siri followed Mr Dick’s advice and avoided running for six months to ensure she’d fully recovered.

After being given the all-clear from Mr Dick, Siri jumped right back into her active lifestyle, beginning her training for an Olympic distance triathlon. Balancing the lower impact on her hip of cycling and swimming with running, Siri made sure she was well-prepared.

And seven months after her hip replacement, Siri completed her first ever triathlon with a time of 2 hours and 39 minutes – an incredibly impressive time, let alone doing this after a hip replacement. “Crossing the finish line felt incredible!” she said. “The journey from hip rehab to the finishing line has been transformative – a true experience of self-discovery and motivation.” And above all, she’s incredibly grateful for Mr Dick’s surgical expertise. “His understanding, expertise and belief in me made it possible for me to achieve this goal,” she says, “and I couldn’t be more thankful.”

Find out more about hip replacements at HCA Healthcare UK