THREE Busselton builders will be taking on the pinnacle of the Ironman world.
Max Higgins, Mick Bray and Vince Middleton are heading to Hawaii for the Ironman World Championships next Saturday, and it will be the first time any of them have competed in the iconic race.
All three are seasoned Ironman veterans, with Max and Mick qualifying through a demanding ‘legacy’ program.
In order to earn a spot at the prestigious event through this program, they had to have previously completed at least 12 full-length Ironmans, including at least one in both 2011 and 2012, be registered for one in 2013 and have never previously competed in the Hawaiian event.
The full-length race, as takes place in Hawaii and various other locations including the Busselton Ironman, consists of a 3.8km swim, 180km ride and 42km marathon run.
The group all expect Vince to post the best time of the trio in Hawaii, and all have different levels of personal expectation.
Vince, who qualified through previous performances, was not expecting miracles in the scorching Hawaiian heat though.
“I just want to get a respectable finish in my age group,” he said.
For Max and Mick, the focus was just on savouring the experience.
“I’m just going to enjoy the day and finish, as I know I won’t be going back again,” Mick said.
“I’m not going over to smash anything, just to compete and have a good time,” Max said.
“It’s mainly to take it all in, soak up the experience and finish comfortably, and hopefully save myself up a bit for the Busselton Ironman.”
Mick believes the fact all three are builders helps with the mental toughness needed to compete in Ironman races, and also provides them with the flexibility to fit training around work.
Training has still proven difficult for Hawaii, with wet and windy conditions greeting them during every session over winter.
Last weekend was the first training they had completed in fine weather, Vince said, adding that this had been the worst weather he had ever experienced while training for a race.
