British rising star Anna Shackley forced to retire from professional cycling at 22 years old Cyclist
British rising star Anna Shackley forced to retire from professional cycling at 22 years old
SD Worx-Protime have announced that Anna Shackley has been forced to retire from top-level sport due to a cardiac arrhythmia – an irregular heartbeat. The 22-year-old was diagnosed in January of this year and subsequently had a screening that showed several irregularities, prompting more testing.
In a post on social media, SD Worx-Protime said, ‘The latest result of all the tests and procedures has led to the conclusion that the heart problem is not compatible with a top-level sports career.’
Sports director Danny Stam added, ‘We are very sorry to see Anna’s cycling career end like this. She was one of the bigger talents in the women’s peloton… it is especially unfortunate for her that she is now forced to stop. On the other hand, we are also happy that we were able to prevent any more dangerous complications.’
Ian Forsyth/Getty Images
Shackley, who hails from Milngavie in Scotland, was a strong climber on the up as a key part of SD Worx-Protime’s dominant team. She won the U23 title at the British National Road Race Championships last year and is also a former national champion in the points and team pursuit events on the track. She shone in the inaugural edition of the Tour de l’Avenir Femmes, finishing second overall and she won a bronze medal in the U23 category during the women’s race at her home world championships in Glasgow last year.
Her last race was at the European Championships in September last year, in which she won a silver medal for the women’s U23 road race.
Shackley is not the first to retire due to this condition, with Sonny Colbrelli also forced to end his career due to an unstable cardiac arrhythmia, which saw him collapse at the Volta Catalunya in 2022. Peter Sagan underwent surgery this year for cardiac arrhythmia after his heart rate exceeded 200bpm in a mountain bike race, but he is back training for the Olympic Games.
For those in the UK, charity Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) offers subsidised screenings to young people aged 14-35 to check for cardiac abnormalities.
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The post British rising star Anna Shackley forced to retire from professional cycling at 22 years old appeared first on Cyclist.
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