Clayton says time to tri

Byron-based athlete pushes elite ironman career

CLAYTON Fettell says becoming a father has given him a whole new purpose as he works towards redemption at the Ironman World Championship.

Fettell, who conducts the bulk of his training in Byron Bay, will look to take another step towards qualifying for September’s world titles when he races in the Cairns Ironman on Sunday – an event that dou- bles as the Asia-Pacific Championship.

The 31-year-old and partner Kendall welcomed their first child Nixon eight months ago and Fettell revealed his son had been a driving force behind his current season.

“It’s been a bit of a lifechanger,” Fettell said.

“I had to decide, do I want to go get a job or do I want to start racing a bit better?

“I chose the latter and I’m really enjoying it. I’m a bit better with my time management.

“I used to go for a ride and spend a bit too much time at the coffee shops where as now I have got to take every opportunity I have got to get out and train.

“The purpose you feel is absolutely different.”

Fettell is 65th on the world ironman rankings on the back of a third at Ironman Australia, eighth at 70.3 Geelong, ninth at 70.3 Ballarat and 10th at Ironman New Zealand.

A top-seven finish in Cairns this weekend would be enough to put him into the top 50 needed to secure a spot at Kona but Fettell is aiming to be in the top five.

Fettell shifted his focus to full-distance Ironman events, consisting of a 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride and 42.2km run, five years ago. His only Ironman World Championship race so far came in 2013 where a younger and more brash Fettell failed to finish after going out too hard.

Fettell has spent the past four years improving and is now eager to make the world titles a permanent fixture on his racing calendar.