It is considered to be the ultimate test of a person’s strength, resilience and stamina and because athletes must be invited to compete, the gruelling Hawaiian Ironman remains for many a dream too far.
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Last month Boat Harbour’s Graeme Chamberlain, a cancer survivor, added his name to the number of few elite triathletes to successfully conquer this extraordinary race, which doubles as the World Ironman Championship.
The 53-year-old electrician completed the distance comprising a 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride and a 42.2km run in 13 hours and 15 minutes, which is remarkable considering he was nursing an injured ankle. The winning time was 7hrs 52mins – a record.
“I guess I was fortunate that we had favourable weather conditions. The harsh winds and humidity which the race has become renowned for did not eventuate, although the heat was stifling, particularly during the run leg,” he said on his return home this week.
“We had near perfect conditions for the bike ride and while the swim was a little bumpy there was no complaints. I found the marathon-distance run the most challenging and copping some rain made conditions just that little worse … the rain quickly turned to steam.”
Chamberlain said he found it difficult to describe the moment of euphoria he crossed the line under darkness.
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“It was just a fantastic feeling,” he said. “Completing this event was one of my life’s wildest dreams and while I would like another shot at it I know that due to the tough entry process I will probably never get another opportunity.”
Chamberlain lost an eye seven years ago to a cancerous tumour, which affects his three dimensional vision.
“I have no depth of vision, everything is flat which makes it difficult calculating distances,” he said.
The setback has only made Chamberlain, who is also an active member of both Birubi Point Surf Lifesaving and Tomaree Triathlon clubs, more determined to achieve some of life’s incredible challenges.
“It’s something I cannot control so I don’t let it bother me. I am booked in for another MRI this week which will hopefully give me the all clear,” he said.
Chamberlain said that he could not have achieved his amazing feat without the support of wife Sonya, coaches Kev Picton and Peter Yap, friends and the wider Port Stephens community.