The IRONMAN Asia Pacific and IRONMAN 70.3 Cairns races on 12 June were fantastic for SBTC. Great participation from Green Army members in both the Full and 70.3 distances. Special mention goes to Bianca Cairns who came 5th in her age group in the 70.3 and Qualified for the IRONMAN 70.3 2016 World Championships to be held on our own Sunshine Coast.
Thanks to Bianca for providing us with some thoughts on the day and her qualification.
IRONMAN 70.3 – Cairns 12 June 2016
By Bianca Cairns
Who’d have thought 12 months ago when I tackled my very first 70.3 (Sunshine Coast) that this is where I’d be today- a qualifier for the 2016 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships. I definitely didn’t see it!
I was shocked and overjoyed at my Cairns 70.3 result- in a time of 5:05:31 I placed 5th in my category and secured one of the 3 World Champ qualifying spots (The Kona equivalent for people only “half” mad ). Seems only fitting that Bianca Cairns qualifies at Cairns right?! and I think hanging with Tiffany Dahl and Steve Williams, resulted in a bit of Cairns IRON magic rubbing off on me.
It was truly miserable conditions on race day, pouring the whole time, but you have no control over the elements so you just grin and bear it and get on with it! So I just did my ‘thang out there, enjoyed the views and made jokes with people about the wet tropics.
I truly am a case of ‘anything is possible’ and I can’t wait to race at least 140 other ladies out there on September 4th, in Mooloolaba- the town I was born in, along the roads Mum and I walked the dog on as a kid, cheered on hopefully by heaps of SBTC clubbies yelling at me to “Move my ass!”
Thanks everyone for your support, advice, friendship and for training alongside me on this crazy journey that’s only just begun.
