In 1999, I was very fortunate to be awarded a lottery slot to the Ironman in Hawaii. I received my calling to the Big Island before I had even completed my first season of triathlon. That October, I remember walking through town and noticing a small flyer that was pasted to a lamppost. The flyer was for "Ultraman Hawaii" a three-day event where the competitors swim 6.2 miles, bike 261.4 miles and run 52.4 miles.
I smiled at the insanity of attempting to go that far.
Three years later, I was back in Kona standing on the beach looking out to sea. Looking up towards the volcano, I took a deep breath and prepared to start Ultraman. I led the swim and broke the course record for day one. Over the three days of racing, I was fortunate to have the stamina to win the race overall. The island gave me a gift of seeing what might be possible if I applied myself towards ultradistance triathlon.
Hawai'i has played a key part in many aspects of a personal transformation that continues to this day. I've fallen in love on her shores, been hauled out of her waters close to death and challenged myself to dig further than I ever thought possible running through her lava fields.
I'm looking forward to testing myself further in the years to come.
