This year has been an incredible journey, and today was the culmination of all the hard work, dedication, and resilience leading up to my first 70.3 Ironman in Sunny Coast. My coach, Julianne Dillon, and her husband, Darren, have been instrumental in guiding me through this journey. Two years ago, on September 8th, I had a full right hip reconstruction, and many people said I wouldn’t be able to run again, or that my exercise would be severely limited. However, my surgeon, Dr. Cameron Cooke, understood how important exercise is to me—it's part of who I am—and supported me in regaining my strength.
Today marked my debut in the 60-64 age group, and I’m proud to say I placed second out of eight competitors and podium for the silver. Even more exciting, this result earned me a spot at the VinFast World Championships in New Zealand. Crossing the finish line was an emotional experience, as I reflected on how far I’ve come. I’m grateful to all my friends and supporters who have stood by me throughout this journey, offering encouragement when I doubted myself.
The conditions today were tough, especially the swim. We joke about the phenomenon called "natastrophic" that seems to occur whenever I swim at Mooloolaba—choppy and challenging waters. Despite that, I finished fourth in the swim, a discipline I’ve worked tirelessly on over the past year. That was a huge personal victory for me.
The bike leg was a different kind of challenge. The headwinds and tailwinds on the 90km course really tested my legs, but I pushed through, knowing the 21km run was waiting. By the time I hit the last stretch of hills my quads and knees were feeling it, and doubt started to creep in but, I trusted the process as I trained hard for this. I got into transition quickly (just 2 minutes and 44 seconds), and stuck to my race plan on the run.
I’m incredibly proud to have finished first overall in the run—a testament to the training program that Jules tailored for me. The program played to my strengths, and I owe a lot to her expertise. Darren for being on course just being so supportive and sharing his knowledge of the sport - Legend My physio, Damien, who is also a triathlete, has been crucial in keeping me injury-free, while my masseuses, Paul Vink and Wayne Cooley, have helped work through any niggles along the way.
I’m also lucky to be part of an amazing club, SSG Multisport and the camaraderie and encouragement from these incredible people kept me going when things got tough including my friends from the cupcake cartel. As I look ahead to the World Championships, I know I have a fantastic group of friends and supporters behind me.
I’m deeply grateful for this opportunity and want to thank everyone who has believed in me—my friends, my family, and all those who played a part in this incredible journey.
I will be travelling with some incredible humans/athletes, let’s bring on the next chapter.
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