Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 127, February 2020 | Page 40

MULTISPORT
MY
STORY
An Ironman
At Last!
an Ironman, and on 1 December 2019, after nearly four years of dreaming, training,
and one failed attempt, I finally became one!
In becoming one, I made history by becoming the first South African female hand
cyclist to cross that famous red carpet finish line! It means I swam 1.9km, cycled
90km and ran 21km, in a time of 7 hours and 32 minutes – and by crossing that
Ironman 70.3 finish line I not only made history, I also earned myself a spot to go to
the 70.3 World Championships in Taupo, New Zealand later in 2020!
Nervous Energy
I did not sleep the night before the race, because my nerves were wrecked. The
pressure was on, and I was feeling just a little overwhelmed, worrying that I would
once again fail. The cut-off time for the bike part of the race the next day was five
and a half hours after your official start time, and last time I just did not make it. My
workings made me know that I had to do my 1.9km swim within 45 minutes, and at
least keep up a speed of 22km/h for 90km with my arms... and because it is a flat
course out there, this meant that it was non-stop cycling with no downhill breaks.
My swim was amazing – 45 minutes, and I even got to see a stingray swim below me. I
got out the water feeling strong, and I pushed hard on that cycle with one goal in mind,
to “make that cut-off.” Four hours 16 minutes later and I had made it, with nearly half
an hour to spare. My team back at transition had all been stressed out, but when they
saw me coming in, I know for sure they breathed a huge sigh of relief, and so did I!
Onto the run leg, and now to just push through for another 21km in my wheelchair,
and I knew I had this! With every single push, no matter what my arms were
screaming at me, I knew was getting closer and closer to finishing this thing, and
after seven hours and 32 minutes of racing, I rolled across the line to meet my
team, who put the medal over my head and a towel around my shoulders. We all
had a few tears as we moved into the finisher’s area, because we had just made
history, we had just pulled off something that had not been done before by a South
African Female, and we did it as one team, my Dad, my wife Petro and I.
My dreams came true when I finally
succeeded in officially finishing an
Ironman 70.3 event in December, at the
Ironman Western Australia in Busselton, and
to my great surprise, I am now training to go do it all again
in New Zealand later this year! – BY CATHERINE VAN STADEN
O
ne of my favourite quotes comes from American writer Elbert Hubbard:
“Dreams can come true, but there is a secret. They’re realised through the
magic of persistence, determination, commitment, passion, practice, focus
and hard work. They happen a step at a time, manifested over years, not weeks.”
Now I sit here, two months later, a little stiff and sore in my shoulders and arms, as
I have just begun training again after a two-month rest from training. I have started
with my build-up to the World Champs in November, and the first few weeks
back into training are the worst, but while I was swimming this morning, I was
overwhelmed with a sense of gratefulness and awe that I am privileged enough to
do what I love. And not just in sport, but in work, too!
You see, in the end what really does matter is that we pursue our dreams, even
if they take a few years. It’s not just about the achievement of the dream, but the
journey to get there that makes us who we are, and what we can do. As legendary
LA Dodgers baseball coach Tommy Lasorda says, “The difference between the
impossible and the possible lies in a person’s determination.” I, for one, never
dreamed of going to World Champs this year, but I did dream about finishing an
Ironman. One never knows what lies beyond the dream.
Well, I had trained, persevered, committed myself, dug deep into my passions,
focused on one thing and worked hard, with a touch of determination, to become
Restarting the Process
40
ISSUE 127 FEBRUARY 2020 / www.modernathlete.co.za