Organizer in Vietnam, winner in Cebu
IN VIETNAM, where he is based, Canadian Todd Gilmore would not be seen relaxing on the grass after an Ironman 70.3 event, enjoying a victory. There, he is the organizer and he never gets to compete.
Yesterday, Gilmore was all smiles sitting on the grass basking in the glory of his first evenr Ironman 70.3 Cebu win,
The 46-year-old Gilmore, an engineer for Vietnam Oil and Energy, won the 45-49 male age group in the Cobra Energy Drink Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championships yesterday at the Shangri-La Mactan Resort and Spa.
Gilmore walked away with the 45-49 male division crown with a time of 4:53:24,
"I had a good day. If you had a good day then you are surely happy," Gilmore told Sun.Star Cebu. "The race was well done. The best part was the swim because you can see the bottom."
Gilmore isn't new to the sport. Aside from seven years of experience as a triathlete, he is also the race director for Ironman Vietnam.
"There, I can't race, here I can," said Gilmore with a laugh.
Gilmore used to be overweight but triathlon helped him get into tip-top shape.
"I was 92 kilos 14 years ago. I got in shape and worked out an hour a day in the gym but it was boring," said Gilmore, who was with his wife Nhien and son Joseph.
Gilmore has competed in six full Ironman events and 12 half-triathlons.
And every time Gilmore competes, he raises funds for Newborns Vietnam.
Newborns Vietnam is a UK-registered charity dedicated to reducing neonatal mortality in south east Asia, with a specific focus on Vietnam.