Publisher pumps up pride

Page 7

Spandex, sweat and determination - the three essential ingredients needed to earn status as an official Ironman athlete.

On Aug. 27, as many as 1,700 competitors from more than 20 countries gathered in Penticton to test their physical abilities in the world renowned Subaru Ironman Canada Triathlon, a race consisting of swimming 2.5 miles, biking 112 miles and running a grueling marathon of 26.6 miles.

Competitors have up to 17 hours to finish the race to gain recognition as an Ironman, a feat accomplished by 39-year-old Greg Young-Ing, a single parent and Cree from Northern Manitoba.

This was Young-Ing's second year in the event, an opportunity he took "to test myself for the ultimate physical endurance challenge.

"Because I live in Penticton, I had watched for six years the Ironman competition. I got tired of watching and decided it was my turn to compete." Young-Ing, the managing editor of Theytus Books, Canada's first Native owned and operated publishing house, began training for the Ironman by entering smaller running marathons. Young-Ing trained about 16 hours per week for more than three years.

Young-Ing emphasized the most challenging task was juggling his work, parenting his six-year-old daughter Nimpkish and squeezing in the training. But the effort was important.

"I wanted to show my daughter that you can do anything if you work at it."

Young-Ing remarked that although the Ironman is true test of physical excellence, "it has been very useful psychologically in other aspects of my life. By enduring physical pain, it has allowed me to see other situations that are uncomfortable and difficult as tolerable." Young-Ing first completed the Ironman Canada in 1999 with a time of 14:20. This year he shaved off almost an hour with a time of 13:50. Young-Ing said he would have accomplished a faster time but his bike broke down twice and Mother Nature's blowing winds slowed him down considerably.

His wish for the future is to see more Aboriginal faces in the competition. Young-Ing said Aboriginal people have an edge in this fast growing sport because they have the history behind them that shows they were excellent endurance athletes. Obstacles that face Aboriginal people is thinking they can't do it or do not have the money for the proper training equipment, he said. If those barriers were removed, Young-Ing bets there would be a lot more Aboriginal faces crossing the finish line.

This year's winner, Peter Reid, a 31-year-old resident of Victoria, completed the triathlon in 8:29 hours, taking home more than $12,000 in cash, as well as many other prizes.