Athlete claims Kona spot
The loudest cheer was saved for Cairns’ Andrew Jamieson as Ironman World Championships spots were drawn yesterday. Jamieson, a T6 Paraplegic after a construction incident in 2003, had secured a spot for Kona at his fourth attempt after completing the Cairns 70.3 course in his fastest time yet. Ironman 70.3 Cairns only offers one male qualifying slot for Kona in the handcycle category and the Freshwater resident had done enough on Sunday to secure it.
THE loudest cheer was saved for Cairns’ Andrew Jamieson as Ironman World Championships spots were drawn at the Pacific Hotel yesterday.
Jamieson, a T6 Paraplegic after a construction incident in 2003, had secured a spot for Kona at his fourth attempt after completing the Cairns 70.3 course in his fastest time yet.
Ironman 70.3 Cairns only offers one male qualifying slot for Kona in the handcycle category and the Freshwater resident, who has raced in his hometown event since 2014, had done enough on Sunday to secure it. The Cairns High School graduate missed out by five minutes last year and is over the moon to be heading to Hawaii in October.
“I felt like I had something to prove this year and went faster than I have before,” Jamieson said.
“Kona is huge, it is bigger than every one of the athletes that have qualified here.
“If you do not make it the first go, you just have to keep having a crack until you get there.
“From what I understand it is a real magical place and a really tough day at the office.
“Visually I have an understanding of what Kona is all about.
“Spiritually and mentally, I do not because I have never been there.
“I am excited for the journey ahead.
“The preparation will be about to ramp up.”
Jamieson was one of the 75 qualifying slots claimed across all categories of the Cairns Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship on Sunday.
He will be joined at Kona by fellow Far North athletes Peter Wex, Sarah Thomas and Tom Gersekowski.
Jamieson initially got into triathlon back in 2014, when his wife Kristy was training for her first 70.3.
The para-athlete competes on a handcycle, the result of a construction incident in 2003, where an excavator bucket fell on him at work in Western Australia.
Jamieson has a refreshing perspective on life. “Life goes on,” he said. “The rest is history.”