Nigel athlete Jurrie Davel participated in the Ironman competition on June 4 in Durban.
He competed in the 50-54 age group. The race comprised a 2km swim, a 90km cycle and a 21km run.
The cut-off time was eight-and-a-half hours. Davel completed the course as follows in swim (41:50), cycle (3:00:27) and run (2:32:31). His overall time was 6:28:47.
In his age group division, Davel ranked 42nd. In the men’s division, he ranked 395 and 513th overall.
“Being able to complete the race was most important for me because so many factors play a part in preparation for the race,” Davel said.
“I followed a strict training programme for at least six months. That involved training twice daily and one rest day per week. To prepare for the race, you must understand your body and its needs and prepare for each discipline differently.
“It is one of the toughest events I have trained for and managed to complete.
“This will probably not be the last one either because it has set the foundation to start planning a new training schedule to be in better shape so that I can not only better my time but try for a top 20 age category position in next year’s Ironman.
“I am thankful to my wife, Mandi, who was my sole support crew. Without Mandi, I would not have completed the race,” Davel said.
“There are seldom opportunities to accomplish such huge challenges without that special person or crew, and she was my one-woman crew that got me to the end.
“Thanks to CC&A Insurance Brokers for supplying the kit designed especially for triathlons, Hoër Volkskool for allowing the use of their swimming pool, and Ice Cold Bodies (employer) for their support and leeway for me to train daily. It is an honour to be part of Ice Cold Bodies, Heidelberg.”
