Weatherall competing for a cause
THE initial shock has passed and the hard work has begun for Scott Weatherall.
It has been two months since the Dunedin paramedic was awarded the Tony Jackson Scholarship, enabling him to compete in March’s Ironman New Zealand.
He will compete in the race as part of his drive to raise mental health awareness, notably in the Mike Kinginspired organisation The Key To Life Trust.
Indeed, he spends a lot of time helping people with their mental health struggles.
The scholarship is presented to a ‘‘deserving athlete’’ each year, supporting those who may not be able to compete in the event otherwise.
Weatherall admitted to being overwhelmed at first, although he has since begun his training, aided by the team at Boost Coaching.
They had helped fit his training around his busy shift work schedule.
‘‘I hadn’t started training. I had entered another event that was on the radar and I wasn’t far away from starting training.
‘‘But I injured my shoulder on the Sunday before it was announced and couldn’t swim for a couple of weeks.
‘‘But I am back swimming now
and running and biking and in the last few weeks have dropped 3kg and cracked into some increased motivation, which is cool.
‘‘It is not easy when a cold front comes through, but I have still been out on the bike and broken down that initial training barrier.’’
He said it was important to not overdo the training, as that could lead to injury.
That happened to him in the leadup to the Coast to Coast, which had been frustrating. An injury could also affect your mental health, he said.
Entering the Ironman had been a great way to start a positive conversation regarding mental wellbeing, as many people asked him why he was doing it.
He said it was easy to talk about the negatives in mental health, but it was important to realise everyone needed support all the time — not just the dark times.
However, it was a personal factor that was the biggest driver behind what the father of two boys was doing.
‘‘This has to be an internal motivation as well.
‘‘It is nice to see some external people acknowledging what I am doing, but to see my boys proud of what I am doing, that is as good as it gets for me.’’
The New Zealand Ironman is a triathlon consisting of a 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride and 42.2km run.
However, Weatherall has proven himself capable of intense physical stress.
He has completed the twoday Coast to Coast event, while also having represented both Otago and New Zealand at surf lifesaving.