After a severe motorcycle accident in 2022 that saw him sustain severe life-threatening injuries at the scene, Roscoe defied the odds and completed his first ever Ironman earlier this month.
Spending nine weeks in a coma, with no detectable brain activity and two punctured lungs, doctors had to break the hard news to his family that it was unlikely Roscoe would survive.
But it was the strength of Roscoe and his family that got them all through.
After a long discharge process, it wasn’t until seven months after the crash that surgeons were able to reattach the nerves in his arm.
The most inspiring part of it all, is that Roscoe was not a triathlete before his accident.
“I had nerves in my left arm reattached, so my goal when I started hydrotherapy was to be able to swim,” Roscoe said.
“I found a sport that incorporated swimming and the 2XU series in Melbourne lined up perfectly for me.
“Having a goal motivated me to put further effort into my therapy.
“What drew me in about the sport was that while you race people, at the same time the biggest competition is with yourself.”
Triathlon is a sport known to be challenging, but for Roscoe, diving into triathlon after his recovery helped to give him a purpose.
“It gave me purpose,” he said.
“It gave me something outside of myself, greater than myself to aim for.
“How I was feeling day to day didn’t really matter when it came to a race I wanted to do the best I could do in.
“I was honestly unsure of whether I could achieve the goals I set for myself but I just focused on what I could do that day to get me better.”
Now fully immersed in his competitive triathlon journey, Roscoe loves the community and the accomplishments he’s able to achieve in the sport, including ticking off his first full Ironman.
“I enjoy the exercise and how that benefits me,” Roscoe said.
“I really enjoy the community around the sport and their encouragement, support and joy.
“The full ironman experience was tough but great.
“The journey towards that consisted of what I got to do everyday and I focused on ‘stacking days’.
“For me to compete and finish, I was exuberated, relieved and joyful.
“But my stand out event that I’ve competed in would have to be my first 70.3 in Port Macquarie, it was great to race there with its history.”
Reflecting on his 2024 achievements, Roscoe’s plans for 2025 are still to be determined, but the Cairns Ironman is calling his name.
Welcomed with open arms into the triathlon community when he needed it the most, Roscoe shared being involved has been full of positive experiences.
“Everyone who is part of this community is wonderful,” he said.
“Being part of that has encouraged me to be more outgoing, friendlier and kinder in general.
“Aside from a few sore mornings it has had nothing but a positive influence on my life.
“For anyone that wants to get involved in triathlon, I say ‘go for it’, it’s a great sport for your mind, body and soul.”
If you are interested in getting involved in triathlon, head to https://www.triathlon.org.au/ to find an event or club near you.
