I was just 6 when Abebe Bikila won his second Olympic marathon, 1964 in Tokyo (for his 1960 Rome victory even I was too young). I have been fascinated with “extreme” sport ever since, fascinated with this amazing sisu, never giving up.

As a kid I then did many types of sports, including cycling and our (Dutch) national pride of speed skating. As a student I started to run, in the rage of the day. The aim was a Marathon, I competed in several halves, but then the chores of everyday career and family life took hold of me, and by the time I was 30 I realized I was too old for a good Marathon.

Also during that time a new craze was shown on TV: Ironman! I loved it, but thought this was only for Supermen and Superwomen. Not for mere mortals, I thought.

Fast forward to 2008: In the meantime I had moved to Finland. Approaching the tender age of 50, I needed to pick my version of mid-life crisis. During that same time our girls made an innocent joke about my figure, but enough to get me running again. And when I do something, I do it radically. So I started running with rapidly increased volume, and got several leg injuries: Achilles problems, shin splints, hips, you name it. I needed to take it easy with the running and compensated with biking. My mind went: biking – running…. Only add swimming and you’re a triathlete!

Now, swimming is not easy. I could manage 25 meters freestyle non-stop! But practice makes perfect – or at least keeps you floating. And practice is easier with a motivating group of like-minded people. So I joined the Triathlon group of Turun Urheiluliitto. Bike together, swim together, sometimes run together. And most of all: motivate each other, ask advise from more experienced triathletes, and laugh together. You need such a group if you want to survive 5 to 6 hour bike rides. Or if you want to motivate yourself to get out of bed early each Saturday morning to go swimming.

But the result is worth gold: 2009 I did my first triathlon races, including Joroinen half distance (1.9 km swim, 90 km bike and 21.1 km run). 2010 I then participated in the Frankfurt Ironman, for the full distance (double the distances above). As they say: You forget the pain, but the glory stays, and you always remain an Ironman!

Since 2008 I train. Some years more than others (depending on work and other activities). Some years I concentrate more on biking (several times up Mt Ventoux, a few times Route 300), other years I do more running (a few marathons, one time a 24 hour run), but always I come back triathlon, as the mother of all endurance sports!

Therefore: You are never too old to tri!

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