Born to Perform (21 page)

On my First Communion day, 1969.

The 1979 All-Ireland Junior Steeplechase event. I am no. 28; my good friend Paul Moloney (of adidas fame) is no. 29. Standing to the extreme left of the photo is my friend Fr Frank Madden, who was tragically killed by lightning.

Extract from my training notebook from 1979 about the school marathon run I did to raise money for Trocáire. Clockwise from left: the poster I drew up and stuck on the school notice board; with Fr Patrick Donnellan, head master, and Fr Joe Harrington, rector, Salesian College, Pallaskenry, Co. Limerick before my charity run; I ran the 25 miles in under 2 hours and 40 minutes, without once stopping or taking a drink of water; students cheer me on my way.

Me, Coach “Bullet” Bob Hayes and Fanahan McSweeney at McNeese State University, Louisiana, 1980. Fanahan competed at the 1972 Munich Olympics in the 400 metres for Ireland. After two years at McNeese, I had had enough and transferred to the University of Arkansas.

May 22, 1981: winning the contraband five-mile road race, which was the first of three events making up the inaugural triathlon staged in the State of Louisiana.

Start of the inaugural Sligo All-Ireland Triathlon, June 17, 1984. Hardy athletes brave the cold water; the luxury of using wetsuits in triathlon events did not come about until 1987.

International magazine
Triathlete
centre spread photograph of me winning the first of seven All-Ireland Triathlon titles, June 17, 1984.

After my victory at the first All-Ireland Triathlon, June 17, 1984: RTÉ's Thelma Mansfield, me, RTÉ's Brendan O'Reilly and my mother, Thecla Hartmann.

“Double trouble” – with triathlete Diane Sloan from Belfast in Nice, France in 1984. Both Diane and I ended up in casts at the Triathlon World Championships in 1984.

Winning my second All-Ireland Triathlon in Sligo by a massive fifteen-minute margin, June 23, 1985.

Finishing my first Hawaii Ironman World Championship in 24th place, October 26, 1985.

Meeting Dave Scott, five-time Hawaii Ironman Champion from Davis, California, on Big Island, Hawaii in 1985.

Ironman swim start 1984. 1,800 brave souls charge into the Pacific Ocean to compete in the 2.4-mile swim, the first event of the Hawaii Ironman World Triathlon Championship.