Back to the Beginning

In 1993 we witnessed our first Ironman live and it happened to be the one in Hawaii. We were there to watch our friend Jason race. It was a day that changed my life forever because that is the day I decided that I wanted to be an athlete. I can't explain why a girl who had never undertaken any type of endurance event would stand on Alii drive and proclaim to her husband 'I'm going to do this' (meaning triathlon), maybe a rational sane girl wouldn't have said that, but I never claimed to be either of those things. Luckily for me, his reply was 'we had better get you a bike' and thus the journey began.

This year we returned 18 years later to once again watch our friend Jason race in the Ironman in Hawaii. This one was special in that it was on the 20th anniversary of his first trip to Kona and it was also his 20th Ironman. The first time he raced there he was 22 and he is still racing strong and fast!

waiting on the seawall for the start

swim course kayakers in place

Masses getting in the water

Jason is in there somewhere, not too chaotic:) He's in the blue cap



2/3 of Jason's cheering squad, waiting for the bikers

the other 1/3, waiting for the runners

We were really good at cheering and getting around to different spots throughout Jasons race, we weren't very good about taking pictures. I'm not sure what happened but I think we all thought the other was getting pictures. Our team shirts had Jasons race advice on the front 'Go that way, really fast. If something gets in your way, turn!'. They weren't quite as flashy as the purple team tanks from eighteen years ago but what can you do?

1993 Jaybo for Speed Squad