Two East Kootenay residents closed off 2024 with an impressive feat, competing in the Ironman 70.3 World Championship triathlon in New Zealand last December.

Shelby Lehmann, 21, and Paul Weevers, 65, qualified to compete in the swim, bike, run race that drew the world’s top age group athletes to Lake Taupō on New Zealand’s North Island. While the two don’t officially train together, they do meet up on Wednesday and Friday mornings along with an informal group of triathletes to train at the Cranbrook pool.

A 70.3 Ironman, sometimes known as a “half Ironman”, sees the triathlete swim 1.9 kilometres, bike 90 kilometres, and run a half marathon of 21.1 kilometres. A 70.3 gets its name from to the total distance in miles that the athlete travels.

The championships were an exciting opportunity for Lehmann. This was her first 70.3 championship, but not her first Ironman championship. She raced in the full-distance Ironman championship in October 2023.

This year’s race had its ups and downs for her. She finished strong in the swim, coming out of the water 14th in her age group, and her bike was also strong. Trouble started on the run when a recurring leg issue caused her left calf to seize up at the three-kilometre mark. She had to alternate jogging and walking for the remaining 17 kilometres, finishing the run in two hours 42 minutes, and the total race in six hours 10 minutes.

Considering this is an event that many don’t finish, her race is still something to be proud of.

At first, Lehmann was frustrated when the calf started cramping. This same issue plagued her at the Ironman championships in Hawaii in 2023 and she thought she had it under control during the training leading up to New Zealand. In Hawaii she was overwhelmed by the injury, but this year she was able to have a healthier perspective.

“As I was walking along the lake and seeing the beautiful view, cheering on the other athletes, I took more time to appreciate where I was,” she said. Overall Lehmann placed 91st in her age group.

Lehmann’s coach, Holger Bohm, head of the Kootenay Academy of Triathlon based out of Kimberley, says he’s proud of that attitude and her approach to the sport.

“In the end we’re all in this for the experience,” he said. “We all need to realize that we’re amateurs. We’re in this to have fun. This is a great excuse to go to a place you’ve never been before, experience the culture, and meet like-minded people who come from around the world for this.”

That wasn’t lost on Lehmann. She was excited to see New Zealand as she’d heard about its beautiful landscapes and it lived up to her expectations. Lake Taupō is a crystal-clear lake with a mountainous backdrop that was hidden when she first arrived, obscured by rain clouds.

Two days later the clouds lifted and revealed the volcano across the water. The waters are remarkably clear, some of the cleanest Lehmann has ever raced in. Three hundred metres out from the shore and she could still see the bottom.

Lehmann has been racing triathlons for five years now. She was one of just a few teens at the 2023 race in Hawaii and she now has two world championships behind her. For the coming year she’s going to take a bit of a break, though a break for Lehmann may mean something different than what it means to most people.

She’s still going to do some triathlons, possibly the Wasa triathlon this June, and she has her eye on a 11.8-kilometre open water swim in Lake Skaha at Penticton this summer.

While Lehmann is at the start of her athletic journey, at 65 Paul Weevers can hardly be said to be near the end of his racing. Lake Taupō marked his 25th 70.3 in addition to having done 17 full-distance Iroman races. He’s raced on every continent that Ironman has held a race, and was happy with his race in New Zealand, placing 45th in his age group.

For Weevers, triathlons are all about fun and fitness. He likes that triathlon requires training in three sports, so it’s easier to get fit without overtraining in any particular discipline. He enjoys triathlon races because they put the age group racers on the same course as the professionals, often on the same day, a unique experience that few other sports afford amateur athletes.

“I’ve seen some of the pros on the back half of a marathon and they’re hurting as much as you are, they’re just going a lot faster!” he said.

Weevers enjoys the camaraderie among triathletes before, during, and after the race, and he’s found that happens regardless of the race, whether it’s a local race like Wasa, or an international event like the world championships.

Weevers also finds there’s still room for some kind of improvement. He raced his first Ironman world championships in Hawaii at the age of 41 and he’s faster now than he was 24 years ago.

“Age isn’t a factor so much as staying free,” Weevers said.

Submitted

Article Share