World Race Walk Team Champs Brazil

Thank you very much for your support.

I managed to place 63rd in the Senior Mens Half Marathon Race Walk and finished at the top kiwi, which is higher than I was expecting leading into the race which I am very chuffed about. The New Zealand team placed 15th and marked the first time in 30 years that NZ has had a senior team score at this event. I finished with a time of 1:46:10.

The Mens half marathon race walk started at 11:05am and got up to 29°C with over 70% Humidity and being at 1100m altitude did not help, leading to it being the toughest race I have done and that was observed by me needing wheelchaired from the finish line to the medical tent along with countless others in the race.

Your generous support helped me alot to be able to focus on training leading up to the race and not so much about trying to fund the trip. I learnt so much both in the race and away from the race.

Three experiences that stand out to me was on the first night at the World Athletics Accommodation had the World Record Holder Toshikazu Yamanishi sitting on the table across from me, and another was speaking to the reigning 35km RW World Champion and him telling stories about previous races he has competed in and talking about his training and what he does. And finally the night before the race the dinner was a spaghetti pasta, and I have never seen so many trays of pasta consumed and nor had the hotel staff who were shocked at the rate they were replacing the pasta as everyone was carb loading.