Fesel, a father of two (eight-year-old daughter Madison and six-year-old son Aiden), experienced an emotional time along the route and at the end.
“This was an emotional finish for me,” he told the City Times.
“I had a brain tumour removed two weeks after my 11th Ironman SA and, funnily enough, it was the exact day a year ago that I was rushed to the Linmed Hospital by paramedics after having a mild stroke.
“There were many tearful moments out there on Sunday.”
Asked how the health issues affected his ability to train and prepare for the PE event, which includes a 3.8km swim, a 180km bike ride and a 42km run, Fesel said: “I had five weeks when I was not allowed to do any exercise, which is tough when you are an Ironman triathlete.
“The neurosurgeon allowed me to resume light training after that.
“Twelve weeks after the brain surgery I completed an Ironman, on my 42nd birthday.
“It was tough getting fit again, as my body had undergone extreme trauma with the six-and-a-half hour brain surgery.
“The process was a slow, patient build-up, but I have a great coach, Natalie Tissink, who took this into account in getting me race ready.
Commenting on some of the most challenging parts of this year’s Ironman, compared to the 11th race, Fesel added: “Everything went well until I started the run.
“There wasn’t a breath of wind, which is strange for PE, ‘The Windy City’.
“I swam and cycled what I thought I would, but the heat got to me (the temperature reached 33 degrees out there) and I hit the wall on the run.
“I finished the marathon about an hour slower than I wanted to and it became more of a case of survival and just getting to the end and finishing number 12.”
Taking on gruelling triathlons seems to be a Fesel family thing, as his wife, Renate, completed her second Ironman SA on Sunday and her third Ironman in total.
“She had a fantastic race and knocked an hour and 14 minutes off her previous time,” said her beaming husband.
“I am so proud of her achievements and for breaking the sub 13-hour mark.
“She was aiming for a 13 hour and 30 minute finish and did it in 12 hours and 52 minutes.”
The determined Fesel will now take two weeks off from exercise and will begin training for the half-Ironman Durban 70.3 on June 19.
The Benonian remarked how he loves training in Farrarmere: “It is the best place to run – I love running around there.”
He thanked Renate for being by his side, his friends at Smart Tri and the gentlemen at Irwin Shuffle for their support.
