Mom completes Ironman race at home during lockdown

 A Port Elizabeth based mom, Charlotte Raubenheimer, has completed the IRONMAN race at home.

The 42-year-old mother of two says it was her lifetime dream to compete in the race, which was originally set for 29 March, but has been postponed to 15 November 2020.

Known as the 2020 IRONMAN® African Championship, this triathlon which features swimming, cycling and running takes place in Nelson Mandela Bay every year.

Speaking to Parenty, the “Ironmom”, as she calls herself joked: “I would rather do Ironman than my kids’ school work”.

After receiving pictures of people completing the race at home from friends overseas, Charlotte made the decision to stage the race at home on Sunday morning, as finishing the race was her goal and she wasn’t trying to be competitive. “Using my son’s boogie board I anchored myself for the swimming part of the race and finished it in our pool, and also turned my bike into a stationary bike to ensure I could complete the race fairly, and my husband, who has been running the triathlon for many years, helped me estimate distances and timings.”

The mother of two boys aged 6 and 11, completed the race for her family friend Phillip Janse van Rensburg, who is wheelchair-bound, and she tried to raise funds for a new wheelchair for him through her backabuddy campaign. This after the wheelchair’s battery had been giving him trouble and because of the elements being close to the sea, it was exposed to rust and is in need of a serious makeover.

“I thought to myself, Philip probably feels like he is in lockdown every day of his life and I wanted to help him.”

The super-mother who works part-time says she made huge sacrifices to train for the race, but adds: “Training shouldn’t interfere with the important things in life, like being there for my kids and being present in the moment.”

Her advice to other moms is: “Be productive with your time but remember that everything comes in seasons, there was a stage where I worked full-time with a special needs son so I understand doing something for yourself is not easy. I waited to do this and it was a fulfilling experience.”

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.