A sister and her little brother. Two cities. One race. 1.9km swim, 90km bike, 21.1km run across the most beautiful lake in New Zealand. We have some months to figure this out.
Since we're training in different cities, we're mostly doing this apart β comparing notes, suffering in parallel, and holding each other accountable from afar. We both just started training and decided it was time to take on a proper challenge together. We're starting from the basics, balancing hospital placement hours and immersion classes with long rides and pre-dawn laps, all for that finish line in TaupΕ.
I'm currently navigating the challenge of a law degree alongside the Te Tohu Paetahi full-immersion Te Reo MΔori program, so my brain is usually as tired as my legs! While I grew up as a competitive swimmer, I've realised that being "comfortable" in the water is very different from having the stamina to smash out 1.9km and then jump on a bike for 90km. I'm essentially rebuilding my engine from the ground up. I did a few sprint triathlons over a decade ago as a teenager, but this is easily the hardest event I've ever taken on. My current longest bike ride is 20km β the 90km on race day is going to be a whole different story!
Tristan is in his final year of nursing and is currently diving back into the deep end β literally. Like me, he grew up swimming, but he hasn't been in the water much since our school days, so he's back in the pool rebuilding that base. He's currently on the hunt for his first road bike to start tackling the 90km cycle leg. We once did a tiny team sprint triathlon years ago where Tristan did the run, but we've never done anything close to this distance before. Neither of us has ever run a half-marathon, so we're both staring down a lot of "firsts" together.
A freshwater swim in the caldera of an ancient supervolcano. The water is impossibly clear. It's also 300 people thrashing alongside you at the start gun.
Rolling farmland, geothermal steam, and the kind of hills that make you question every life decision. The longest leg. The one that decides your run.
A half marathon. On legs that just cycled 90km. Along the lakefront with the whole town watching. The finish line on Tongariro Street is reportedly the loudest in New Zealand.
We're two students funding this ourselves. Entry alone is $750 each β and that's before any of the gear, travel, and accommodation we need to get to the start line. Pick whichever tier feels right and we'll shout you out every step of the way.
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