Theo Bierman , Ironman athlete , triathlon coach , life coach and inspiration |
“ I came out of rehab in January 2014 and got involved in endurance sports in 2016 . I had been active my whole life – for a couple of years squash was my thing , and then mountain biking was my thing , but then I landed up in hospital after a biking accident while training for the Magalies Monster in 2007 . I went over the handlebars and needed pins in my shoulder , so then I hung up my mountain bike boots and started running . Nothing serious , you know , just healthy running .” |
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it , and we ’ ll refurb it ,” says Theo . “ As long as it has wheels … that ’ s the most important thing , so that the children can become mobile .”
He says that that the COVID pandemic and economic downturn has had a big effect on the NPO ’ s work , and that is what prompted him to undertake his Ironman fundraising challenge . “ Over the past two years , we have not been able to raise the money we need to assist cerebral palsy sufferers effectively , and that ’ s why I made a personal pledge to raise funds for the Project to continue its work . The thing is , you can ’ t get money from people if you don ’ t raise awareness , and the best way to do that is putting up your hand and saying , hello , I ’ m a red flag , watch me do this thing … and that was a backto-back full Ironman in two consecutive days , out in the Cradle of Humankind . We ’ re also striving to get monthly donations in for our work .”
Chequered Journey
Theo has lived in Joburg most of his life , having grown up in Randburg , and he now lives in Fourways with wife Robyn and children Tao ( 10 ) and Jude ( 8 ). He has a full- time position with Dimension Data and also does a lot of coaching . “ I ’ ve been an Ironman certified coach and life coach , offering personal development coaching , since 2019 . I ’ m in recovery for addiction – the 31st of January this year marks my ninth year of clean-time – and Ironman was and still is part of my recovery . Because I live with absolute truth and vulnerability in who I am , I am able to push past any hurdle that comes my way ,” says Theo .
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Theo on his way to finishing the 2022 full Ironman in Gqeberha |
Theo graduated to triathlons in 2016 , but says there is a backstory to that , beginning when he came out of rehab . “ So , I came right in January 2014 , and then my wife and I , along with our two children and our two dogs , decided to emigrate when I got a good job offer in the UK . We literally left South Africa in the thick of summer and landed in the UK in the thick of their coldest month . Robyn and I had lived in the UK from 2004 to 2006 , but that was before we got married and had kids , so it was very different . Five months later , she and the kids decided they wanted to go back , but I asked her if I could stay on for a year , finish my contract and settle up , because you simply can ’ t compare UK and SA salaries . But it was a tough decision !”
He says taking his family to Heathrow Airport so they could fly home brought back painful memories of when he was taken to rehab . “ This is not a great story , but it ’ s important for context . My pregnant wife was holding 12-month-old Tao and she was due to give birth to our second baby , Jude , a month later , and there I was being driven to rehab , and I can remember how I felt looking back through the car window and seeing them watch me drive off for some very urgent intervention . Years later and I ’ m now saying goodbye to them again , albeit under very different circumstances , but it felt like that first time all over again .”
Solace in Distance
When Theo arrived back home from the airport , he went online and entered his first half Ironman – he admits that he was looking for something to distract him from the loneliness he was feeling . He duly did his first triathlon and really enjoyed it , so signed up for more , and when he managed to re-join his family earlier than expected in South Africa , he continued racing Ironman events . “ I went on to do all the half Ironman races in SA , and I have now done them multiple times , as well as the ultra races in the Cradle ,” says Theo . “ I also recently picked up an athlete sponsorship from Pace and Power , a local South African endurance performance supplement company – and in conjunction with following a plant-based diet for three years as part of my recovery process , I now also use these performance supplements to boos my performance and post-race recovery .”
In 2018 , he did his first full Ironman in PE ( now Gqeberha ), but then took 2019 off from triathlons due to a hectic year of international travelling for work . He entered the 2020 full Ironman again , but it was cancelled due to COVID , so he deferred his second full Ironman outing to 2022 . He says he really did find a purpose in triathlon training and racing . “ Personally , I see running , cycling , swimming and strength and conditioning , as daily maintenance . I ’ m nervous not to live this life anymore , because this is my new addiction – and not in an obsessive way , nor in a way where it affects my relationships . That ’ s the most important part ... It must be a healthy alternative .”
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In between racing , Theo also began studying to become a triathlon coach , as he says he had always fancied getting involved in coaching . “ The more I immersed myself into the world of personal development throughout my recovery , the more I realised that I wanted to share my story , and connect with like-minded people that were going through similar things , to share all the nuggets of information that I picked up along the way ... through Ironman , through recovery , through Christianity .” |
“ Since then , I ’ ve gotten into Ironman coaching , and I coach both male and female athletes , but I have also created an integrated Ironman and life coaching personal development course , focusing specifically on middle-aged men who battle with a tarnished sense of self-worth and value . There are a lot of middle-aged men out there that have various forms of addiction , but often the behaviour pattern is the same , and what I ’ ve learnt in nine years of being clean allows me to show them there ’ s a better way – and if they are willing , I bring in Ironman training .”
Off to a Tough Start
So , in spite of just having two full Ironmans under his belt , Theo went into his Double Ironman challenge feeling confident that he could handle the distance , but his confidence took a knock when he fell ill two
Robyn gives her husband some TLC during his final transition of the challenge
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Images : Sportograf & courtesy Theo Bierman , The Paige Project |