Eurobodalla triathlete Daniel Beby is in Kona, Hawaii, preparing for the race of his life. Daniel qualified for the Ironman World Championship, and this Saturday competes in the 40th running of this prestigious race.
Apart from the difficulties of the 3.8km ocean swim, 180km bike leg, followed by a 42.4km marathon run, he must battle the elements of this unique race. Temperature is forecast to peak at 32 degrees, and wind gusts of 40km/h are forecast. If anything, these winds are light, as gusts of 80km/h are not unheard of on this part of Hawaii. This is in start contrast to the weather conditions when he left Batemans Bay on the weekend.
Above: Daniel Beby (left) on a training ride in Kona takes a break with another Australian triathlete.
Daniel qualified for the race with an outstanding effort at the Ironman Australia Triathon at Port Macquarie in May. There, Daniel completed the same distance course in a time of 9:51:57. This placed him 9th in his age group, and 49th overall.
In Kona, Daniel is one of more than 2100 triathletes in the race. There are many times that number who would have loved to have qualified for the event.
Eurocoast Triathlon Club president Rod Bradley said “Along with everyone in the area, we wish Daniel all the best. It is an incredible achievement to qualify for this iconic race, and we just hope he has a race that he has trained for. Out on training rides at 4am for months on end hasn’t been easy, he has worked hard and we all hope that his efforts are reflected in his results”.
