Keith & brother in Aussie Triathlon World Champs Team

[arpie]

Hi guys

Keith & his twin brother Fran have both qualified for the Australian Triathlon World Championship Team, to be held in Auckland in October this year!! We've already booked our accommodation and with Keith's background, there is not much need to 'train' specifically for the event, but as any of you who have met him will know - that just means he will do double what he normally does!!

He won the 70-74 age group in the Tri World Champs on the Gold Coast back in 2009 ..... just months before he was diagnosed with Stomach Cancer in early 2010 - resulting in the removal of most of his stomach, followed by 3 months of chemo. The chemo finished in October 2010 & he was back competing in Jan 2011 & hasn't stopped competing since!

He makes me tired, just watching him!! SERIOUSLY!!

He was recently interviewed for our local paper, the Great Lakes Advocate (it helps having the Editor in your Triathon Club!

http://www.greatlake...ps/2566008.aspx

The local Prime 7 News team picked up on the article & came down to Forster to interview him last week for the local Sports spot as well! They asked me a few questions too!

http://au.prime7.yah...-is-no-barrier/

Keith turned 75 at the end of last year & can't wait to hit the road again for the World Champs (so to speak!) The fact that they are being held in NZ is a double bonus - Keith lived there for 37 years (and me 15 years) prior to us moving back to Aussie in 1999 - and has represented Zimbabwe, South Africa, New Zealand & Australia in top level sport - initially Athletics and then in 1990 when he was 53 & did his first Ironman in NZ on just 3 months training - never having swum much or biked at all, really - and he won his age group, qualifying for the World Champs in Hawaii - the Mecca of Ironman! They did a write up of him back in 2003 when he was 65!

http://www.greatlake...rce/576229.aspx

So ..... If anyone out there has a buddy or relative who thinks that they are too old to get into fishing or kayaking ........ he does that too!! He has competed in numerous 'real' yak races (he isn't really into yak fishing, tho he DOES go out with me on Xmas Day, just to humour me!) and even competed in the Gloucester Mountain Man Race, where you have to paddle a high grade rafting river, mountain bike across a mountain & then run across muddy cow paddocks & river flats to the finish!

In May, we headed up to Byron Bay, where he won the 70+ age group yet again - he has won his age group up there in the Olympic Distance Race ever since he started competing there about 10 years ago! He is a legend there & gets a hero's welcome at every time he fronts the stage at Prize Giving! Here he is, after competing! Not bad, when you consider he was the oldest competitor - and 1/3 of the field finished behind him!

I know - I am blowing his trumpet a bit - but hey!! He's worth it!!

Thanks for reading!

cheerio - and here's hoping he can win this World Champs as well!! He is doing the Aquathlon & Olympic Distance, same as in 2009. Fran is doing the Aquathlon & Sprint Distance - so who knows - we may have Dual World Champs - and twins at that!!

Roberta

Oh yeah! I gave him a ukulele for his 75th birthday & he is now playing that too, & quite well, even if I DO say so myself!! He has never played an instrument in his life, so just goes to show, that you CAN teach an old dog, new tricks!

Edited June 4, 2012 by Roberta

[mako2000]

Thants just amazing....hopefully I can do a quarter of that at keiths age, let alone paddle a kayak around wallis lake as well Roberta!!

[arpie]

Thanks, Mako.

I seriously get tired just keeping up with him!! He trains twice a day, every day, early morning & afternoon, rain, hail or shine!! When most are warm & snug in bed, Keith is out there, beating the elements!!

cheers

Roberta