Crossing the finish line at the VinFast Ironman World Championship triathlon capped a 40-year journey for Red Deer's Kevin Hill.
The 54-year-old Red Deer completed the annual international triathlon with a time of 11:50:29 in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii on Oct. 26. He finished 254th within the 50-54 division and 1,559th overall.
"I trained for quite a while, getting mentally and physically prepared for it. At the end, you're pretty tired, but at the same time, you're pretty excited with adrenaline," said Hill.
Competing in the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii is a dream Hill has had since he was 14 years old.
"I watched the exact race — the Ironman World Championship — on TV. I said, 'I've got to go to that race one day.' It was always in my head to go there," Hill said.
"My first triathlon was two years later. I did races ... until about 1991. Then I had four knee surgeries over the next five years and I couldn't run without pain. I pretty much packed it in for 20 years, but then I met Keith Weber from Weber Physio. After a number of treatments, he got me back to running without pain."
Nearly 2,400 people competed in the men's 2024 triathlon, including 54 professionals. The journey started with a 3.8-kilometre swim in Kailua Bay. Competitors then embarked on a 180.2-kilometre cycling route from Kailua-Kona to Hawi and back. Finally, competitors hopped off their bicycles and ran 42.2 kilometres, reaching the finish line in Kona town.
In total, 85 countries, regions and territories were be represented at the 2024 VinFast Ironman World Championship triathlon. Regional representation sees Europe lead the way with 47 per cent of athletes registered to race and North America with the second most, accounting for 29 per cent of athletes.
The event is organized by the World Triathlon Corporation. It is the annual culmination of a series of Ironman triathlon qualification races held throughout the world. The 2024 women's triathlon was held in Nice, France in September.
Hill, who works as a mortgage broker in Red Deer and is the CEO of Thrive Hockey Development/Red Deer Rustlers, said he's drawn to the challenge of triathlons.
"I tend to be challenge and goal-oriented. If somebody tells me I can't do something, I like to prove that I can and the human spirit can overcome. I'm a big believer that people can accomplish a lot of things as long as they have the confidence — they've just got to get started," said Hill.
Hill said completing the Ironman World Championship wouldn't have been possible without support from his wife and family, as well as his coach Craig Schmidt, who has competed at the triathlon before.