The return of Ironman
Jeff Symonds’ triathlon career comes full circle with return of Ironman to Penticton
Penticton triathlete Jeff Symonds has raced all over the world and even won multiple crowns on hometown courses, but this Sunday will be different as Subaru Ironman Canada, the event that inspired him to pursue the sport as a professional, returns to the city.
“When I was in Grade 4 or entering into Grade 4, my teacher, Frank Reimer, had just done Ironman. I remember thinking that was like the coolest thing ever,” said Symonds, 37, in an interview Thursday.
“I think maybe up until that point, I thought, you know, these people are like superheroes, and then you're like, ‘This guy is just one us.”
In the years that followed, Symonds volunteered for Ironman Canada and became fascinated by the inner workings of the sport.
“I’d just done my first triathlon and I volunteered as the person that biked in front of the third-place male…. The guy that was a heavy favourite, he ended up puking in the bushes, and that whole kind of like, rockiness, how everybody has a shot at the title, kind of drew me to the sport.”
Once he embarked on his professional career in 2009, the podium finishes started piling up, including winning the 2015 Ironman AsiaPacific Championship in Australia and second-place finishes in 2014 and 2018 at Ironman Canada in Whistler.
Symonds also found time to win three of the Challenge Penticton triathlons — in 2013 2014 and 2016 — that initially replaced Ironman Canada.
More recently, Symonds finished third at an Ironman half-distance event in Calgary in August 2021, and so far this year placed first at a half-distance triathlon in Oliver in June and third at a half-distance triathlon in Victoria in July.
And now his career has come full circle with the return to Penticton of the triathlon that started it all.
“I'm just excited to kind of pass the torch and have that opportunity to inspire the next generation of triathletes and be a role model for the next generation of kids coming up,” said Symonds, who is also helping out with the Subaru Ironkids Canada Fun Run on Saturday.
“I have a lot of the people that have supported me along the way… and they're a part of the journey, so they will be part of the celebration of race day.”
Symonds, who earned a marketing degree from the University of B.C. while starring on its track team, has wound down his triathlon coaching business and is returning to school in the fall as a first step towards starting a new career as a teacher.
He’s looking forward this weekend to seeing some of the kids he coached while helping out the KISU Swim Club and even extended an open invitation to anyone who wants to talk triathlon with him.
“I work at the Bike Barn on Saturdays and if anyone sees the race and is inspired or wants to know how get involved in it — all walks of life can get in — you can come visit me on Saturdays and I'd love to talk to you.”
There’s no pro field in this year’s race, which was twice postponed as a result of the pandemic, as organizers focused instead on making whole all the amateur athletes whose races were cancelled.
Ironman operated triathlons in Penticton for 30 years before the municipality cut ties with the organization in 2012 in a dispute over costs. Several different triathlons were staged in the years that followed, but none came close to matching Ironman’s popularity.
City officials signed a new five-year deal with Ironman in 2019 with the intent of the race returning in 2020, but it was cancelled due to the pandemic.
Under the terms of that deal, the city pays Ironman a $150,000 annual licensing fee, plus provides in-kind services worth up to $502,100, including public works staff and police, event spaces, community notifications and marketing.
The race will follow the traditional single-loop course with a 3.8-kilometre swim in Okanagan Lake, a 180-km bike ride through Osoyoos and Keremeos, followed by a 41-km run to Okanagan Falls and back.
The first athletes are scheduled to enter the water at 6:50 a.m. All competitors must be off the course by midnight. Environment Canada is forecasting a daytime high of 24 C on race day with a mix of sun and clouds.