Conquering Ironman Bolton – Fear. Perseverance. Triumph.
Swimming had always been my number one fear and the daunting thought of conquering the water up against 1,600 other people in a dark choppy lake in Bolton loomed large at the weekend.
This time last year I couldn’t manage one lap in a pool without having a panic attack and now I’m on the start line about to head off on a life-changing adventure – the Ironman Bolton triathlon (2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and 26.2 mile run).
The fear of swimming had haunted me for years and to make matters worse the conditions I was about to tackle were like nothing I had ever trained in before.
I was determined to face it head-on though and just focused on the countless hours of training I had dedicated to improving my technique and building my confidence and I thought back to something my amazing wife Jenna Bidewell said just before I left …
“Do our children proud”
… every time the fear kicked in I kept telling myself “If I quit what message am I sending Harry and Poppy?”
Fourteen hours, five minutes later and I don’t know how but I make it to the finish line. I would love to say I was full of the springs of joy at the end but in truth, I was broken! (I also cried at the finish line).
Participating in Ironman was an experience that pushed me way beyond what I thought I could achieve.
This journey has taught me that fears can be conquered, that perseverance is key, and that true triumph lies in the pursuit of our dreams.
The dream I would become an Ironman started with a handshake over a bottle of wine with my best mate Matt Hobbs in a pub in 2019 and now I can say with pride I’ve faced my biggest demons and lived my wildest dream.
Interesting stats:
• Signed up: 2,400x people
• Start line: 1,500x people
• Finish line: 840x people
A massive thank you to my wife, children, family, team, friends, and everyone who has supported and believed in me on this journey (you know who you are).
Credits:
Jenna Bidewell, Les Bidewell, Melanie Bidewell, Ross Bidewell, Yvette Tamara
Vegan Squirrel, Rob McKellar, Matt Hobbs, Dan Corpe, Sarah Huntley, Claire Bromley, Kai Bohannon, Amy Cameron, The IRONMAN Group, BISON, Credo Fitness, OxygenAddict, Parkrun
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