Willard Beach lifeguard Ernest Phungula powered his way to third in his category at Sunday’s ISUZU Ironman 70.3 in Durban.

The 32-year-old Thembeni resident finished in a time of 4:26:22 after completing the gruelling 1.9km ocean swim, 90km cycle and 21.1km run. That was good for third in the men’s 30-34 category and 15th overall.

“I told myself that I wanted to be on the podium for my category. Even if it was second or third place, I would be happy because I would be racing against some of the best athletes,” he said.

Ernest first started training for triathlons after watching a competition while working as a lifeguard in Durban.

“I saw the sport and thought I could do it. I was already swimming and running, so I decided to give it a try,” he said.

He has since claimed some impressive results, including a third-place finish behind Olympic bronze medallist Henri Schoeman at the Tinman Triathlon in Durban and fifth at the South African Duathlon Championships.

Coach Glen Gore describes Ernest as a dream to train.

“He is a humble athlete who is very determined and does not need motivation. Whatever he is told to do, he does it without question. He is very humble and disciplined,” said Gore.

“He is one of the most committed athletes I know. He travels to Durban every Wednesday without fail and again on Saturdays, while juggling long hours as a lifeguard.”

Ernest’s next target is the South African Championships in George in July before travelling to Abu Dhabi in November for the World Championships.

“I’m always aiming for the podium. I want to be among the best,” he said.

Ernest thanked the North Coast community for their unwavering support since he first represented South Africa at the 2024 World Duathlon Championships in Australia.