Locals show their mettle in KZN

Two locals, Justin Victor and Leigh Kay, took on Durban’s natural paradise known for its gorgeous coastline of sun-kissed beaches and subtropical climate.

Victor entered his first Ironman event in Durban, with already his fourth 70,3-kilometre event. He finished in an overall time of 05:35. “I took a beating in the sea because it was a lot rougher than I’d hoped. I have been riding for as long as I can remember so that makes things a lot easier on that front. And the run was flat with thousands of spectators. All in all it was a perfectly organised event with full road closure on the bike, which makes it extremely safe.”

As for training, he would like to thank his coach and mentor, Bosseau Bosshof, for making sure that he was ready for ultra-distance events.

“Training is pretty standard. I swim, I cycle and run. We’ve started adding proper gym sets which help with every part of triathlon, from strength to injury prevention. Really grateful to have a specialist help me reach my sporting goals.”

He said he was really happy with his overall time as training during winter wasn’t always pleasant. “My form is where it needs to be at this time of the year. My favourite part of every Ironman event is the red carpet. The atmosphere is phenomenal with people shouting and cheering. It’s honestly the best part. Knowing that your body can cope with the abuse you throw at it is also pretty motivating. Worst part is having to deal with stairs the two days after the event,” laughed Victor.

Kay finished 13th in her division 55-59 years in a time of 07:41:54 and said she would without a doubt do it again. “I’m pretty sure I can beat this time in the next event. The dawning of race day brought huge excitement and you could literally feel the adrenaline in the air, it was awesome. I can recommend it to anyone and everyone. With the right training you can do it. The sense of achievement, exhilaration is so worth the dark and cold mornings of training.”

Kay said the waves were big and the water was warm. “The swim looked very daunting when we were standing on the beach, all pumped up with adrenaline. Once we got going, setting off into the waves, it really was not that bad. For me the run was tough as it is my weak point. The cycle route was brilliant. The road was in perfect condition with the most beautiful scenery of the stunning KwaZulu-Natal North Coast forests and beaches.”

Her advice to athletes dreaming of doing the Ironman is just to get the training done.

“The training is the tough bit. To get up and out onto the roads on dark winter mornings takes dedication and determination, both qualities you need plenty of for Ironman.”

Her partner and best supporter, Iain Toomey cheered her all along the way.

“My cheerleader. The crowd along the route was amazing, they never stopped shouting and encouraging the whole day. And, the volunteers, I can’t talk more highly about them. They were fabulous: ‘Can I help you rack your bike,’ ‘here, let me help pack all your kit back in the bags,’ ‘I’ll show you where to go’. They were truly great. The organisation throughout the race was fantastic, right down to the end when we had to check our kit out of transition. All the workers, referees and staff where extremely helpful and pleasant.”