RISING SON
Hendy opens up on ‘whispers’ about famous father after stunning win
FOR years, TJ Hendy had heard the whispers: “You’ll never be as good as your dad’’.
It’s taken time for the Surfers Paradise ironman to shrug off the expectations that come with carrying the biggest name in the sport.
But free of the shackles of expectation, Hendy has notched the best victory of his career, winning the opening round of the Nutri-Grain ironman series at Sydney’s Queenscliff beach.
Hendy admits it was his own need to impress, rather than any push from his father, ironman king Trevor, to follow in his footsteps, that had held him back.
It took him time to feel comfortable in his own skin.
“I’ve stopped wanting to impress people and learnt to be satisfied with what I put on the line, and that’s what I did today,” he said.
“There’s pros and cons (to having a famous ironman father). Obviously I’ve got Dad’s genetics and a couple of things that he’s taught me along the way.
“But (there’s also) people saying you’re never going to be as good as your dad.
“People have said that – not to me but it’s got around.”
Hendy beat a field including former series champions Ali Day, Matt Poole and Shannon Eckstein across the line to win yesterday, emerging from the opening board leg in the lead pack and holding his nerve through the swim and ski to claim his first major ironman win 20 years after his father last held the spotlight.
Trevor was back on the Gold Coast, watching a live stream of the race and content not to be on the beach with his son.
“I think it was completely meant to be that way,” he said of his son taking the spotlight.
“The really cool thing about it from my perspective is it’s all about him. I’m just his dad in the background going, ‘Well done mate’.”
Like Jordan Mercer, who won a Nutri-Grain series in 2015-16, and Jett Kenny, who was on the beach yesterday competing in the Ocean6 series, Hendy has had to learn to exist in the massive shadow cast by a parent who enjoyed plenty of success back in the days when ironman dominated the Australian sporting landscape.
HIS last-leg gamble may not have paid off but Matt Poole believes he is in good shape to launch a defence of his NutriGrain title despite finishing eighth in the opening round yesterday.
Poole deliberately headed into a rip on the final ski leg in yesterday’s opening race at Queenscliff, in Sydney, hoping for a quick route to the turning cans.
Instead, he was pounded by a pair of breaking waves and lost any chance of winning the season-opener.
Poole and eventual winner TJ Hendy exited the swim leg in the lead, with Poole opting to head slightly north into the rip, while Hendy pushed straight out towards the buoys.
“The swim was the only leg I was really nervous about because of the way the surf’s been working,” Poole said of the second leg of the ironman.
“And when I got that wave and I knew I was in it with a chance to win, I picked up my ski and there’s traditionally a rip over to the left and I went with it and unfortunately I copped two waves on the chest and it put me so far back.
“It was such a short, fast race that two waves is the difference between first and eighth where I was.”
Poole was left to rue the decision after the race.
“I regret it now,” he said. “I should have taken it to a match race.
“I picked up my ski beside TJ (Hendy) and I’m pretty confident that I can out-paddle him and (beat him in a) sprint him up the beach.
“Rather than taking a risk and splitting, I should have just gone head-to-head with him and taken my chances in the paddling ability and the run up the beach.
“There was a bit of a gamble, so I do regret taking that, for sure.”
After heading into the season underdone following a pair of stress fractures in his foot though, Poole was confident he could rally.
“I’ve had a terrible preparation and I was still in it and looking like I was capable of a win, so that’s a good sign,” he said.
“I can only build on it from here.
“I’ll work on a few little things and I’m looking forward to Round 2 at Coolum now.”
In other Ocean6 events yesterday, Gold Coasters Danielle McKenzie (Northcliffe) and Ben Carberry (Burleigh), won the ski titles, Luke Cuff (Mermaid Beach) won the men’s board, Maddy Dunn (Northcliffe) won the swim, Emma Dick (Burleigh) took out the women’s run-swim-run and Bree Masters (Kurrawa) won the women’s sprint.