Welcome to my blog!

Hi everyone and thanks for stopping by. The original purpose of this blog was to get some kind of sponsorship for the 2011/2012 triathlon season. I'm not, and never will be, as good as a professional triathlete but I compete in a lot of popular races around town & hope that my genuine passion for the sport will be enough to make a name for myself out there, especially as I make the journey towards my very first Ironman - Ironman Australia in Port Macquarie in May, 2012.

Anyone that has ever competed in triathlons knows how expensive this sport can be & I was finding it increasingly difficult to pay for race entry fees & other associated training/competing costs, especially when some of the races I wanted to do involved travelling to destinations away from hom. It was all the little things that started to add up, in addition to all the big things.

So, what makes me different from the next triathlete & why would anyone want to sponsor me if I am not on the podium? Because I always have a bloody good time! And I genuinely love this sport. You can't miss me; I am almost always wearing ridiculously bright colours & a big fat smile on my face. Almost guaranteed to be noticed - sponsors would have a field day! And when I am not competing, I am geared up in fancy dress on the sidelines, cheering for my friends (in particular, Balmoral Triathlon Club).

Over the years I have gotten to know quite a few triathletes; some pro's, some very promising age groupers and some who have just gotten into the sport. And I always said from the beginning that I would never be consumed by results & ego. Don't get me wrong, I race hard & I enjoy competing but most of all, I am just a huge advocate of the sport. I have impressive powers of persuasion trying to get more & more friends to participate in triathlon (gotta love the power of social networking) & I genuinely believe if you are not having a good time, you're not doing it right.

I would appreciate any feedback, advice, contacts, anything that will help champion this great cause :)

Thanks again for taking the time to read this blog. Stay tuned for more updates in the future!

The Fonginator
HTFU

Port Macquarie Half Ironman - Race Report (October, 2010)

Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would ever compete in, let alone survive, a Half Ironman when I first got into the sport of triathlon four years ago. To me, those people were hardcore, crazy and a little bit mental. I thought it was hard enough to do short distance races. And now look at me - I have joined the ranks of freaks.

I originally got into this sport for three reasons. 1) A few of my friends (Wendy Ewen, Scott Morison & Blair Larsen) & my favourite Body Attacker, Bevan James Eyles were all competing in the sport & I admired them so much for being fit enough to train for three disciplines. 2) The hot men (bare legs & calf muscles - heaven). And 3) A new challenge. Obviously number two is what drove me to sign up...clearly.

Husky Triathlon Festival - Race Report (March, 2011)

Last weekend, I convinced 7 of my friends to come along for a weekend away on the south coast, about 3 hrs drive from Sydney, for the Husky Triathlon Festival. I’d heard really good things about this event, particularly about the stunning location, so when entries opened up late last year, I started emailing around to see who was interested. We booked a house in Vincentia and so, the journey & excitement began!

Newcastle Triathlon & A Podium Finish - Race Report (March, 2011)

Well, I can't actually believe it, but yes, its true. I am pleased to announce that I finally made the PODIUM in my age group. It has been a long time coming & the actual race was not an easy one, but I can't even begin to tell you how stoked I am with this result. I am pretty sure there was a double fist pump involved at the finish line, but more about that later!

Sydney ITU World Championships - Race Report (April, 2011)

The 2011 Dextro Energy ITU World Championship was unlike any race I have ever done, but one I will never forget.

Busselton Ironman 70.3 - Race Report (May, 2011)

WARNING: There are no cliff notes to this race report because I don’t do anything in halves. So if you want the short version, learn to skim read. Or just HTFU & get comfortable ‘cos we’re going to be here a while…!

People say I’m crazy. Perhaps a different breed of freak. But I like to think I am just an ordinary person attempting to do an extraordinary thing. And this weekend was no exception. When I finished the Port Macquarie Half Ironman last year, I thought to myself, ‘If you ever think about doing something this crazy again, just remember how much pain you are in right now.’ Clearly I am a sucker for punishment because it didn’t work.