Wow, how did that happen? Not quite sure but I’ll take it anyway.
Busselton Ironman 4th December 2022 is a day I will never forget, for all the right reasons. A day where years of hard work gave me a reward I really didn’t expect. This was a race that I had attempted in 2017, but with a shark sighting before the race start, the swim was called off. This was my chance to finish off some unfinished business…
Coach Greg was alongside me on that start line that day and has been my long course coach through another 3 ironman races since then. Fast forward to race day 2022. The day was quite calm and weather forecast was for winds but not too hot. The beautiful blue water was calm, and a great day of racing was ahead, and everyone was excited, with only a touch of nervousness to make it exciting.
Racing alongside me were my team mates made up of first timers, repeat offenders and a couple of thousand strangers. Gun fires and we are off on the 3.8 km swim. I swam alongside Janine all the way to the first marker and giving each other smiles as we drew our breath was a nice way to start the race. After coming out of the swim mid-field with a slower swim than I was hoping for, we mounted the bikes for a wild and windy 180km ride.
Although the Busselton bike course is flat, this day was particularly windy, but I just kept telling myself that it’s the same for everyone so get on with it. Fairly consistent 2 laps and holding a little back for my favourite leg still to come, we exited the bike course to transition for the run. My back was incredibly stiff and sore so I chose to sacrifice a minute for a good stretch on the ground of the transition marque. This is not a pretty place believe me.
Position now 21st in my age group. Up and out, here we go, stay consistent and you will have a good run. Minutes into the run, there they were, Tri-Alliance supporters, cheering, dancing, even holding up printed posters of me from previous runs encouraging me to dig deep. This was amazing and they even positioned themselves at the loneliest ends of the course to pick me up when I needed it most. Coach Ollie pulls up next to me on his bike “Mate, just run to feel”. Yep, that was my plan and I would stick to it.
The run course is a 4 x 10 km flat loop and coming into my second lap, I get word that I am now in the top 10. Oh… ok that was nice to hear but stay focused and try to hold pace. The body felt quite good so all is going well and now I hope I can finish in the top 10 in my age group. Come around for second and third lap and I get even better news. You are in 7th and chasing down 6th. At this stage I’m thinking top 5 is a chance, wow that would be awesome. Well into third lap and I’m now told you are in 5th and chasing down 4th. Bloody hell this is getting serious now but didn’t want to blow it. Hold pace, there is still a long way to go.
Again, supporters yelling my position which then got confirmed by Ollie, “Mate, you are in 4th and within reach of 3rd, but he is still ahead of you.” Aaaaahh I didn’t expect this. 2km to go and he asks me what I want to do. Try to catch him? Or not take the chance? My reply was that I really didn’t want to blow this (different words that I can’t use here) as we have seen it all before, athletes at the 41km of a marathon lying on the ground getting their chest pumped. Ollie asked what pace are you at “4:45” and I think I can hold it. His instruction was to do what my body is telling me it can do. A little further and my watch buzzed 41km. That vibration sent a tingle up my spine and then I made the decision. Roll the dice, go for it, so I was off.
Everything from here on is a blur. I could her my name being called but didn’t dare look around. I see the finishers chute and give it one last burst crossing the line and falling into the arms of the paramedic and volunteer who carry me to the recovery area. I had nothing left in the tank, not even enough to walk to a chair on my own. I had given this everything I had. A rest and a drink and made my way over to the bag collection and thinking wow 4th place, that is so much better than I expected. I got my phone out and saw rows and rows of messages that would take time to respond to but now I need to call my number one supporter. So, I rang my wife Karen, and this is how that call went:
“Well done, Hun. You came third”
“No fourth?”
“No third!”
“Can you refresh the athlete tracker please?”
Awkward silence….
More awkward silence….
“Yep, you came third Hun. It’s official!”
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Confirmation of third place after a gruelling near 11-hour race. The guy I beat for third led all day and started the run one hour and one minute ahead of me but blew up in the last few kilometres of the run and I beat him by just 101 seconds. Sad for him but I had just done a Bradbury and the result is the result. The race result also earned me a spot in the 2024 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.
Over 2 months later and I’m still having trouble processing this. Never in my wildest dreams did I think this was going to happen in this race. The plan was to build experience and fitness and then put the next year aside and to have a crack at it 12 months later at the same venue. What can I say but thank you to everyone who helped me achieve this unexpected result. The coaches, my team mates, the supporters from near and far and of course my darling wife Karen who throughout this journey has been my biggest supporter, through good and not so good times.
An individual sport yes, but a team effort that does not go unnoticed. Too many individuals to thank and not fair as I would no doubt leave some out but you know who you are and from the bottom of my heart I thank you for helping me achieve something that I thought I was so far away from, but often thought how much I wanted it, showing there is no doubt that anything is possible and sometimes an opportunity may just pop up so be ready to seize that opportunity. I started with Tri-Alliance in 2016 and was hooked on the first night of Try the Tri. I could hardly swim, I had a bike that had been hanging up in my garage for years after buying it at a charity auction and coming from a background of pretty much all work and no sport. So my first marathon at the age of 48 and it took me 7 years to achieve my sub 3 hour marathon dream. My first triathlon at age 52 and almost 7 years of triathlon and a Kona slot at age 58, proves that age is just a number. It’s never too late to set a goal and go for it.
What does the next 7 years hold? No one knows but one thing I do know is I’m just getting started and of course as my biggest inspiration, my mum used to say, “It’s all about the people around you”. Without you all, this would have never happened so again, thank you. And on a side note, I will turn 60 just 2 months before Kona making me amongst the youngest in my new age group, so I see this as a once in a lifetime opportunity to work hard, work smart and then have a red-hot crack. Not just ticking the Kona box, but maybe coming away with another surprise result. But I will again need you all if I am going to achieve this.
