Harry beats the storm to conquer his first Ironman

Published on: 04/10/2023

When Harry Fisher signed up for his first Ironman event, he couldn’t have known that the weather would prove to be just as much a factor in the race as his own endurance.

An experienced runner, Harry has run the Brighton Marathon three times and Brighton Half twice as well as several other smaller running events. “I absolutely love to challenge myself,” says Harry, who lives in Burgess Hill with his wife and son. “And this event was completely out of my comfort zone.”

On the day of the Weymouth Ironman, thunderstorms and buffeting wind made the conditions very challenging, to the extent that he swim section had to be cancelled. “It was an excellent atmosphere though, despite the terrible weather conditions,” says Harry.  “All the volunteers were simply amazing, and I can’t thank them enough for being there and supporting everyone.”

For Harry, the cycling section was the most daunting. “I am very inexperienced with cycling and most of my training in the gym was on the bike. I even had to borrow my friend’s bike as I didn’t have my own. I was very, very happy to complete the 56-mile bike course in four hours.”

Harry trained for 16 weeks, practising each discipline (swimming, running and cycling) three times a week. Although he was “gutted” not to do the swim part of the race, Harry was delighted to finish in such challenging conditions. “The first thing I wanted to do when I crossed the line was phone my family and friends to tell them I’d completed it. The second thing I wanted to do was eat!

“To anyone considering signing up for a challenge, I’d say go for it. You can do anything if you put your mind to it. Keep a positive attitude and simply believe in yourself. I still can’t believe I completed the bike course – my friend’s bike had pedals you had to clip into, so I even had to learn how to do that.

“I’m super-proud of my achievement and hopefully it will inspire someone else to do something amazing.”

Harry on a run and crossing the finish line

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