Kailua-Kona, Hawaii – 11th October 2025
A member of our team has accomplished a remarkable feat that two decades in the making – completing the legendary Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.
What makes this achievement even more extraordinary is the journey that led to it: twenty years ago, our colleague couldn’t even swim.
The grueling triathlon consisted of a 2.4-mile ocean swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a full 26.2-mile marathon – all completed in the challenging Hawaiian heat and humidity, with a strict 17-hour cutoff time.
Our officer crossed the finish line on Ali’i Drive in an impressive time of 15:38:30, achieving a dream that began as seemingly impossible aspiration after first discovering the race online twenty years ago.
“The emotion of the entire experience was overwhelming,” they shared. “From the standing ovation at bike racking to crossing that finish line – it was worth every single hour of training.”
The entire team extends our heartiest congratulations on this incredible personal achievement. It’s a powerful reminder that with dedication, perseverance, and belief in yourself, even the most audacious dreams can become reality.
Race Report: Kona Ironman World Championship – 11th October 2025
A 20-Year Dream Realised
Twenty years ago, I stumbled across the Ironman World Championship in Kona on the internet and thought, “These people are superhuman.” I couldn’t swim back then — but something about that race, — lit a spark. A dream quietly took root, and it never let go.
Fast forward to 11th October 2025 — I’m standing in the warm waters of the Pacific with the sun rising over the island. I’d dreamt of this exact moment for two decades — and now I was here. For someone who was a non-swimmer ten years ago, it was both terrifying and surreal. Kona is always non-wetsuit and known as a ‘difficult’ swim. That morning the ocean was alive — rolling swells, that took me off my feet as I entered the water. I knew I had to keep calm and not let the fear overcome me. I took a deep breath and whispered “You belong here.”
The week leading up to race day was unforgettable — the laughter of the Underpants Run, the joy of swimming out to the Kona coffee boat and sipping coffee while floating in the Pacific, the breathtaking beauty of the island and its people. Every moment reminded me to soak it all in — I’d waited too long not to feel every second. But nothing prepared me for the emotion of racking day — walking into transition and being met with a standing ovation from the volunteers. Their warmth, energy, and pride found me swallowing hard and there may have been some dust in my eye.
Then came race day — 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of cycling, and a 26.2-mile marathon to finish. All to be completed within 17 hours. It was gruelling from the first stroke to the last step. The heat was fierce, the humidity unforgiving, and the crosswinds along the Queen K threatened to unseat you from your bike.
However tough it got I just kept reminding myself that I was achieving my dream, I was racing in the Ironman World Championships and how amazing that was. At particularly difficult points I would randomly shout Im doing it, I’m doing it which raised smiles from my fellow competitors. ..until the finish line appeared, glowing in the lights on Ali’i Drive.
Crossing that line in 15:38:30 was everything I’d imagined and more — twenty years of dreaming, ten years of learning to swim, thousands of hours of running and cycling and finally receiving that impossibly heavy medal placed around my neck. Kona you did not disappoint.
