Genuine test of endurance
Pro parent pack puts mere mortals to shame
FOR those who think parenting is an endurance sport – these guys take it to the next level.
Mirinda “Rinny” Carfrae, Tim O’Donnell, Luke McKenzie and Terenzo Bozzone have juggled parenthood with competing in the long course Ironman championship without breaking a sweat, or so us mortals believe.
The four athletes are among more than 40 professionals competing in the sellout Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship Cairns tomorrow.
Four-time world champion Carfrae said her 10-month-old daughter Isabelle had changed the way she and husband and fellow pro-racer O’Donnell considered their sport.
“I’ve done two short races since having Isabelle and I spent the latter part of the races thinking about picking up Izzie when I crossed the line,” she said.
“Having that hug when I cross the line would mean a lot to me and if I could do it as the first woman across the line it would be all the more sweet.”
In the men’s field, Kiwi Bozzone is expected to threaten the race leaders.
“You don’t want to be chasing in this sort of event, especially with a guy like Terenzo,” Ironman veteran Luke McKenzie said.
“If you give him an inch you’re not going to make that up.”
The eight-time world champion was looking forward to racing in familiar conditions.
“It is easily the most impressive field outside the Hawaii Ironman,” he said.
“It is going to be a very tactical race, we are going to have a lot of lead changes.
“The weather may play a part.
“This wind may blow the field apart.”
The dark horse of the field is expected to be Spaniard Javier Gomez, who is making his first foray into the long course Ironman after 20 years of racing triathlons.
“It is very exciting and I look forward to see how it goes,” Gomez said.
“It is hard to know what to expect.”
The world champion triathlete said he would use the Cairns event to test himself ahead of the World Championships in Hawaii in October.
“A win in Cairns would be awesome but it is such a long race and you can make mistakes,” Gomez said.
“There are lots of things to learn and I’ll try to learn a lot here.”
He has been able to avoid the worst of a European winter before heading to the tropics.
“The last couple of months have been pretty good, and before that I spent January and February in New Zealand for their summer,” Gomez said.
“I managed to move from summer to summer.”
The Ironman novice was under no illusions about tomorrow’s challenge.
“I’m training very well, I think and I’m prepared for a challenge,” he said.
“But these guys are very experienced with great results.
“I am still a rookie and have to prove it to them in the race; it’s a hard field.”