Race record and a win – not bad for a newbie
NEW ZEALANDER and relative newcomer to the sport of Ironman Teresa Adam used the disappointment of her second-place debut at Ironman New Zealand earlier this year to spur herself to success at yesterday’s Asia-Pacific Championships Cairns.
The 28-year-old pulled off one of the races of the day, crossing the line in a speedy 08:53:17. The impressive time saw Adam knock off a course record by some five minutes, while finishing ahead of a three-time world champion in Australian Mirinda Carfrae in the process.
“It’s unbelievable,” Adam said post-race. “I don’t think it’s sunk in yet, that I’ve won and got the course record – the field was amazing. I don’t know what to say.”
A former New Zealand representative water polo player, Adam took up triathlon after feeling she had “reached her peak” with the water sport in 2009.
“My heart wasn’t in it,” Adam said. “So I started doing triathlons and started going quite well as an under-19 in the ITU (International Triathlon Union) scene.”
The following year, Adam went up to the under-23s, but unfortunately developed compartment syndrome soon after.
“I had to have surgery a year or so later, then I had a few more injuries after that trying to come back and I just ended up stopping the sport for a few years.
“I decided to keep trying and … to rehab all my injuries. But coming back in, my heart wasn’t really in ITU. I did a half (Ironman) for fun and I won that, then I did a few more.”
She stepped up to her pro debut in NZ in March.
“Ironman New Zealand was a huge learning curve,” she says. “I really raced within myself there and even here today, I had to hold back a little, because in your second race, you don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Runner-up Mirinda Carfrae crossed the line in 08:59:18. She said the race was a “good, solid Ironman”.
“It’s an awesome venue for an Ironman. The atmosphere is fantastic,” she said.
The USA’s Beth McKenzie (09:03:11) took out third place.