Ben Coventry talks about his dream coming true.
Athletes around the world consider Kona their field of dreams. For Ben Coventry, the Hawaiian Ironman World Championship was his Shangri-La. Ever since he was an overweight teen, bullied by his peers, Coventry made a pact with himself that he was to do something more with his life. He was going to make a difference. And on October 10 this year, he fulfilled that dream.
“The Kona experience was so inspiring! The vibe and atmosphere that was around the town was electric.” You can ask any triathlete that has been to Hawaii and they will tell you the same thing. The race is magnified, such is the importance and the build up towards it.
Renowned for pitting the athletes against some of the harshest weather conditions, Coventry noted, “Going into this race my coach told me to expect the worse. Expect a lumpy swim, a head wind going out, a head wind coming back and the heat to go through the roof on the run. Which is what I did.” Acknowledging it was the same for everyone out on course, Coventry said, “the temperature on the run fluctuated from 42-48 degrees. But, I knew everyone had it the same so there was nothing I could do but soak it up and accept what I asked for!”
Being such an iconic race, it is hard for any athlete to control their emotions in the lead up to the big dance. “Honestly, when I arrived it was almost calming. Just arriving in Kailua was relaxing in itself because I was able to get out on the course, do my last key sessions and think out the task at hand. As race day approached, you could definitely feel a few nerves in the air rolling around town but the excitement outweighed the nerves I think.”
The culmination of the event is the final few hundred metres of the Ironman, as athletes wind their way through town along Ali’i Drive. “Every ounce of pain was lifted out of my body and I as I turned right onto Ali’i. My Dad was standing there to give me a high five before heading onto the carpet, and instant euphoria from then on. Goose bumps as I heard the rest of my support team (Mum, Girlfriend Tess, Sister Jess and best mate Brett) screaming at me as I ran by. As I hit the finish line, all I could think about was my late Nan, so I looked up and said “we did it”.”
It is the constant will to challenge himself, and the drive to want to be better that got Coventry this far. To race at the Ironman World Championships is one of the truest single day challenges available on earth. To simply qualify is a gut-wrenching experience in itself. But Coventry took everything in his stride, stared down the challenge, and said ‘I’m here to win!’ Many people decide that one trip to the big island is enough, but when asked if he’ll be back, Coventry gives a simple confidence-laden answer with the trademark steely grin, “Of course.”
By Liam Bromilow.
