I had my hips resurfaced (Birmingham) a month apart in 2007 when I was 62 due to restrictive hip movement. I had been running competitive 100 m to 800 metre distances but found I could no longer run the curves.

Two years after surgery I was back sprinting – running the 400 m and 800 m (and 200 m but only if I am in the outside lane). I was (and still am) the Queensland champion in my age group for 400 m and 800 m.

Last March I competed in the Australian Masters championships and although only 5th and 6th in the 400 m and 800 m I was in the 4 by 100 m relay team which got third. (My aim had been to get a medal of any sort – to show that a hip replacement athlete could remain competitive).

The only problem I have is that my adductors are stiff and sore when I start warming up and I need to run about 2 km before they feel good enough to run competitively. Last week I didn’t warm up enough and now my left adductor is quite sore. I am a typical male and although I should stop training when the adductors are sore I keep training – but not quite as intensively. (One specialist said it was OK to keep training up until there was discomfort).