AFTER training six days a week for four months, Busselton woman Cate Finlay said she was ready for triathlon’s pinnacle event.
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On October 11 Finlay and her training friend Kat Rafferty will be competing in the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.
Finlay qualified for the world event when she finished third in her age group at the Mandurah 70.3 Ironman.
“I was completely surprised – I hadn’t event thought about Kona until then,” Finlay said.
She said her qualification showed that anyone with the will could achieve anything.
Since her qualification Finlay and Rafferty have been doing Micheal Bray’s Tuff N Up program.
Bray competed in Kona last year and Finlay said his experience had been a huge help to her and Rafferty.
Along with about 180 other Australians the pair will be taking on not only the undulating course but the extreme weather.
“The heat, humidity and the wind is what makes it so hard,” Finlay said.
Finlay has done the distance of the event before, competing in the Busselton Ironman twice.
The race starts with a 3.8 kilometre rough water swim, 180 kilometre bike ride and a 42 kilometre run to finish.
Finlay will be taking her husband Ron Moore along for the ride on October 3.
She said it was important to get there early to acclimatise and practise the course.
Moore, will be volunteering at the event as well.
The average temperature for Kona in October is 32 degrees but they say it feels more like 41.
“The humidity can range from 59 to 70 per cent which is huge,” Moore said.
He said he was extremely proud of his wife and found her determination inspiring.
“She is doing something I never could,” he said.