|
Will Newton Ironman Triathlete |
|
|
|
|
15 Years ago, I stood on a windy beachfront in Port Elizabeth, South Africa and watched my friend Jonathan win a local duathlon event. At the time I was very out of shape - resting heart rate in the 80's, sleeping 12 hours a day, tired all the time and not getting much exercise at all.
"Seems like a good way to get fit!" I thought to myself and casually enquired of Jonathan whether he thought this was something I could do. He replied that I looked like I'd be able to run, had always cycled to school and was sure to be able to learn to swim with a little effort.
So with the enthusiasm that I put into everything that I do, i bought a secondhand bike, ran the slowest 5km ever run by a man and swam 50m at the local pool - it nearly killed me, but I went back the next day. and the rest is history...
In the the years that followed, I represented the Eastern Province at the South African Triathlon Championships on 4 occasions, once at elite level and completed over 200 multisport events, marathons and cycle races including PB's of 2:02:12 for Olympic Distance Triathlon, 2:59:40 for the marathon, 32:44 for 10km and 23:49 for the 10 mile time trial. To cap it all, I finished Ironman in 9:39 in 1998 and have continued to race at that distance since then.
Something that seemed like "a good way to get fit" has become a large part of my life!
|
