The race, which doubles as the Ironman world championship, comprises of a 3.8 kilometre swim, 180km bike ride and the 42km marathon but the distance is not the major concern for athletes who must also contend with harsh winds, heat and humidity.

On October 13, more than 2000 athletes will embark on the treacherous journey that presents the ultimate test of body, mind and spirit. One of them will be 57-year-old Boat Harbour cancer survivor Graeme Chamberlain.

A prominent member of the Tomaree triathlon and Birubi surf lifesaving clubs, Chamberlain qualified for the historic and gruelling Kona event through a rewards scheme.

“Ironman in Australia has a ‘Legends’ reward scheme, run in conjunction with Legacy for those who have completed 10 or more Australian Ironman races,” Chamberlain explained.

“After you have completed 12 Ironman branded events anywhere in the world you can apply to the Legacy program and I have been fortunate enough to be accepted this year.”

A cancer survivor which saw him lose one eye, Chamberlain has completed 15 Ironman races in Australia, but this will be his first offshore.

“My best finishing time is 11 hours 32 minutes, but that was some time ago. I finished this year’s Australian Ironman in May in just under 12 hours,” he said. “Because the conditions in Hawaii have a major influence on the outcome, I decided to train in Thailand which has a similar climate.

“During a visit to Thailand earlier in the year [my wife] Sonya and I visited a sports resort on the northern part of the Phuket Island, fitted with an Olympic-size swimming pool, running tracks and has a specific triathlon training program which runs seven days a week, including cycling, swimming and running specific drills and sessions.

“Physio, chiropractic, nutritional and general medical practices are all located on site as well as a great recovery facilities, sauna, spa, hot and cold baths.”

Chamberlain said that the sport, based around swimming, bike riding and running, had many different distances from short club races to the world championship distance.

The official website says the Kona race “centres on the dedication and courage exhibited by participants who demonstrate the Ironman mantra that anything is possible”.

Chamberlain said he was hoping to finish the event within the cut off time of 17 hours. He plans to fly to Hawaii this week for final preparations for the biggest race of his life. The event coincides with a Tomaree Triathlon Club meet which take place on the second Sunday of each month.