Magical Memories

 

 

Magical Memories

We felt blessed to be out on our slightly shorter run this morning, after the most fantastic predawn colours fully painted across the sky, so the fact that wildlife count of only thirteen deer, two woodpeckers, a rabbit and some blackbirds was far from disappointing.

We were on our short journey home back home, (proven by the fact that we have not had to refill the tank in two months of lockdown), when a lovely piece of film music by John Barry

came drifting into our ears, when Steve turned on the car radio, that is left tuned to my preferred radio station, Classic FM.

“Oooh” I purred, “Dances with Wolves, the John Dunbar theme”.

“Well you would know that wouldn’t you, one of your Kevin’s I believe”. Said Steve.

 

It is strange but true fact that I have a collection of favourite movie stars who are indeed all called Kevin…. Spacey, Bacon, and the somehow rather appealing Kevin Costner. The collection has nothing to do with the name that is a simple coincidence. Having said that I have read the strange page turner; We need to talk about Kevin, and seen the film about that rather worrying little chap and his mum with the remarkable Tilda Swinton and equally so Ezra Millar.

It may seem to be that my thoughts are darting about a bit here, when I go on to the Hawaii Ironman World Championships in1994. I have been fortunate enough to qualify for the Kona race three times during my many years of enjoyment within the sport of triathlon. 1994 was my first appearance in the most important race in the triathlon calendar. I was so excited when I qualified at the Lanzarote Ironman earlier that year. Having tried and failed to make the finish line the previous year at the same event, in my first attempt to get through the full distance. I didn’t have any huge hang-up about not finishing at my first attempt because as soon as the next day, after suffering dehydration, fatigue and a degree of confusion with 10km still to go on the run, I knew what I had wrong. Indeed in the full light of the next day I realised that I had to work on getting my drink and nutrition right, if I was to get through that very long day at my next attempt.

Going to Kona was doubly exciting because I had got a call from Ian Douglas Sweet who was well known in the triathlon world because he did commentary’s for triathlon on TV and would be heard all the time on Eurosport. This time he was talking about making a film about my race experience. Heavens above what a turn up.  The video was called Hawaii five-5.

I had already been interviewed on TV and radio etc due to my being a rarity, as a mature woman who had taken up as arduous a sport as triathlon at fifty. So that part didn’t bother me at all and anyway I have never been short of something to say. There were hardly any older women in the sport in those days in the UK though a many more in the USA where the sport had really taken off.

With Ian being director and cameraman I had a whale of a time because he knew everybody and everybody knew him. He set up meetings left right and centre and I got to meet most of my hero’s then and there. Before each piece Ian would tell me what to say and what to ask.

I interviewed The Man; Dave Scott. Let me just run that by you again, I interviewed DAVE SCOTT!  I still can’t believe it. John Collins too, one of the original 15 in the first ever home stitched event. It was a mind-blowing experience for me. What is more, walking about the race venue with Ian also meant that I got a lot of freebies including a pair of ZIPP racing wheels and Steve and I were invited on the Media breakfast cruise. I had a private tour of the chocolate factory and was taken to view the bike course by the owner, in his private plane. It was too astonishing for words and the perks went on and on and on.

On race day I had a good swim and a fair bike, ride that I did find hard, because it was hot and clammy and I am not at my best in hot conditions. That is one of the invisible hazards that you cannot see on TV when you watch the race, it looks like paradise and pretty much is that is for sure. It is also windy that can be pretty gusty too. I had been to a talk by Paula Newby-Fraser in Lanzarote and she said that the race began at the bottom of the long climb to Hawi at the far end of the Big Island. She said to stay present for yourself and not allow your concentration to wander and that is so true. She is such a lovely person always free with a few words and great advice.

The distraction that year was that a mega million dollar movie was in the making; Waterworld starring Kevin Costner. MMM! On the climb to Hawi that does seem to go on relentlessly, on the way up to the top, if you glanced to your left you were directly level with the purpose atoll that featured so much in that movie when we saw it the next year. Whilst plodding up a never ending climb your eyes could not avoid the man made island, that was a major set for the filming.

Once at the top of the climb there is a short section into Hawi itself, where Steve had driven to along another route in centre of the island to get to. He waved and shouted at me at the middle of the dead turn in the road and then I was on my way back. More unavoidable views of the Waterworld atoll. On a long fast descent like that one it is not a good idea to spend time gawking at movie sets. I got in to T2 under the bike cut off, even though the wind had turned and was against me for most of the return.

The run was very hot, very hard and seemed never ending. Once the sun goes down during that event they give you a clear soup at the aid stations to make sure you get some salt back in you that you may have lost sweating over your bike handlebars.  It was the hardest run I had done, remembering that I am not strong in the heat and humidity but I got there. Running back along Alii Drive, past the big Banyan Tree that everybody knows about, close to the finish is the most amazing thing.

The crowd support is out of this world and the race commentator shouting, “Daphne Belt you are an Ironman”, is a heart stopping, emotional pleasure.

The first person to get to me after the finish, was Nicola Lunt, wife and Head Everything to UK triathlon event guru John Lunt, My very first race was one of theirs grabbed hold of me and what did she say did she say?  “Well done Daphne?”. Oh No; what she said was, “Kevin Costner watched you finish”!