Finishing Ironman is a win
For those of us who live in Penticton, the spirit of Ironman isn’t – with apologies to Jeff Symonds – about the professionals, it’s about average, every day people.
It’s about people like Rick Hamilton, whose goal was just to see if he could do it.
“I was about to turn 50 and it was one of those bucket list things I’ve always wanted to do. You start reflecting on things around age 50. Then COVID hit, so it was three years in training,” said Hamilton, a Penticton resident who finished his first Subaru Ironman Canada on Sunday with a very respectable time of 13 hours, 59 seconds, 67th of 167 triathletes in his age division.
“I watched Ironman other years and thought, ‘this is something I’d like to try.’ When I heard it was coming back to Penticton, I’ve got do this.”
With Penticton not offering prize money for the pros this year, the focus was on the amateurs.
Hamilton received some training tips from Tom Evans, one of the few Penticton triathletes to ever win the race. But, most of the training was all on his own. In preparation, he completed both the Peach City Classic and Oliver Half Iron earlier this summer.
“Rick is the toughest SOB I know and I couldn’t be prouder to be his friend,” said Adam Konanz, who sprayed him with champagne as he ran by his driveway.
Hamilton admits to overcoming some adversity in his life. When he began training, he was “the worst swimmer in the pool.” It was the part of the race he dreaded the most.
“I hit a wall, but it came during the run. I was about an hour into it and felt like I was going to die. I was in front of Coyote Cruises and I got sprayed down, drank a whole bunch of water and managed to run it out. The last little bit, I was floating.”
The highlight, he said, was the finish line on Lakeshore Drive.
“It was all an incredible experience, best day ever. Crossing the finish line is what stands out for me. It was a relief. I had my family there, a whole bunch of friends and a buddy of mine, Jeff Aitken, who was also doing Ironman for the first time.”
Will he do it again next year? “I’d love to do it, but I have landscaping to do, bathrooms to reno… I think my wife would kill me if I signed up again. When you’ve just finished a three-hour training run you don’t really feel like jumping into chores.”