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Help Harrison get to the IRONMAN World Champs 2021 to compete as the NZ 18-24 champion in Hawaii

  • IMWC Update - 3 months out

      12 July 2022
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    Hey everyone,

    It's been a while since I last posted an update, so here it is in case you forgot about me 😅 It's less than three months until race day now and I'll be starting my final 12 week block of training next week to get into top racing shape!

    This year started out as a real struggle for me, I was finding things particularly hard mentally and inevitably this started to show in my training and I began to feel really burnt out. Ironman NZ ended up getting cancelled in March which was kind of a blessing in disguise as it allowed me to step back and take a bit of a break and reset and focus a bit more on uni.

    I started working with a new coach in May and things have been going really well since and I'm feeling in better shape than I was last year. Training through the wet winter isn’t the most fun but the numbers in training have been really promising 😊.

    I’m super excited to be heading to Hawaii soon and putting the last couples years of dedication to the test! This year has brought about many new challenges but things are now heading in the right direction and I’m ready to give it everything! Again none of this would’ve been possible without those who’ve donated and offered their support so thank you.

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  • Update #5

      1 October 2021
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    Hey everyone,

    This week Ironman finally reached out to all the athletes with options for our World Champs qualification slots. They have moved the 2021 WC to May 2022 in St George, Utah and have also given us the option of deferring to the 2022 WC in Kona, Hawaii.

    It's great to finally have some clarity and I've made the decision to defer to the 2022 WC in Kona as it doesn't really feel like the Ironman WC without being in Kona!

    While it sucks that I'm not writing this message from Hawaii like I should have been, it's also pretty exciting that I have another year to prepare to get there in the best shape possible and set even more ambitious goals! 😁

    So again thank you so much to every single person who has helped me get this far, I don't think I can say that enough... I am so grateful for everything. Aroha nui ❤️

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  • Update #4 (Not good news)

      28 August 2021
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    Hi everyone, this isn’t the update I’d hoped to have for you, but IRONMAN announced this week that they are postponing the World Championships in Kona to February next year due to the recent surge in COVID-19 cases in Hawaii over the past couple of months.

    This is obviously a massive disappointment for all the athletes but something that I always had in the back of my mind as being a possibility. My training over the past 6 months has been progressing really well (thanks to your support and some very early starts!) and so to find myself in this position is really frustrating.

    Thankfully, most of the travel reservations I had made for Kona are refundable and luckily I’m able to defer my world championship slot so with all the uncertainty in the world currently, and the current New Zealand lockdown, I have decided that the best course of action would be to defer my entry to 2023 to secure a spot and then also attempt to qualify for 2022 at IMNZ

    I really do appreciate the support you have all shown me and I’m sorry to disappoint you with this news. But I’m as committed as ever to race in Kona and I'll also be racing the full Ironman event again in Taupo in March.

    I’ll keep posting updates in the build-up to Taupo 2022 and for Kona in 2023.

    Once again, thank you so much for all the kind messages and for your support. I cannot express how much this means to me and I hope to do you proud in the upcoming events.

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  • Update #3

      2 August 2021
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    Less than two months now until I head off to the Big Island!

    It’s getting pretty real now and I’m almost all set with everything that I need for the trip.

    Last week I had my first Covid vaccine and will get my second dose in a months time which is a big relief!

    I’ve been dealing with a bit of a knee injury which has effected my running slightly but fingers crossed I can get it sorted within a week or two 🤞🏽

    It was really good to have the last 3 weeks off uni during the semester break as it allowed me to really focus on the training. I’ve been able to clock up about 25+ hours per week with many big rides out in some not so nice winter conditions (definitely looking forward to the Hawaiian sun!)

    These next two months are probably the most important so I’m really looking forward to it and trying my best to manage my uni and rugby coaching commitments 😊

    Thank you so much again to everyone who’s supported and continue to support on probably the biggest challenge of my life 🙏🏽

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  • Update #2

      28 June 2021
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    The training volume is starting to kick up now that we're just over 3 months until Kona! If anyone is interested, here's a little insight into my weekly training schedule for the next couple weeks so you know that I'm putting in the work! 😄

    I'm lucky to have 3 weeks off uni so trying to fit 22 hours of training into my week isn't so much of a struggle and it means I can dedicate more time to recovery. I'm also able to add in some more heat training and 3x30 minute sauna sessions during the week which has shown to have massive benefits!

    I've just come off a pretty good running block and I'm now starting to build back up my endurance on the bike, meanwhile I have seen massive improvements in my swimming which is fantastic.

    I feel like I can never say it enough so again thank you so much to everyone for supporting me, I quite literally could not do this without you and I am so grateful. My flights and accommodation are now booked and all that's left is to confirm my MIQ dates and try to get a vaccine. But for now it's all about putting in the hours over the next 3 months and making sure I'm in top shape by October!

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  • Update #1

      16 May 2021
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    I have been absolutely blown away by the incredible generosity by everyone who has donated, as well as the people who have offered advice and guidance in my journey through to Kona.

    I have been training really hard and have been lucky enough to get some testing done at High Performance Sport NZ as well as an opportunity to have a go in their heat chamber where they were able to simulate close to Kona conditions (it's bloody hot!).

    I have started working with a coach, Walter Thorburn, who has been great getting me set with the right training to steadily build my overall fitness while focusing mainly on running which is currently my weak point. I have also been able to use his Endless Pool where we have been able to do lots of work on my swimming technique.

    It's very hard to train for heat during the winter so I have parked my bike trainer in front of the heat pump in the flat and have been sweating buckets in the lounge... much to the disgust of my flat mates (sorry!). I'm able to get the heat up to about 33 degrees which is a good starting point.

    Thanks to everyones incredible support I will hopefully be booking flights shortly as soon as the MIQ dates become available so that is very exciting. I'm so grateful for this opportunity and I'm very lucky to have so many people who believe in me and in my drive to succeed ❤️

    You can follow my Strava account below if you want to see what my weekly training looks like!

    https://www.strava.com/athletes/7245303

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