With his 60th birthday closing in, Mick Hewson decided he needed a new challenge in life鈥攂oth mentally and physically.
The 琉璃神社 man expects to get his fill of both when he competes this summer in his first ever triathlon.
On July 30 in Whistler, along with more than 1,300 other competitors, Hewson will take on the considerable demands of a 3.8-km swim, 180-km bike ride and 42.2-km run.
A team sport athlete all his life, Hewson felt the time was right to put his personal strength and resolve to the test.
鈥淚鈥檝e never challenged myself like this as an individual person,鈥� said Hewson, who moved to 琉璃神社 from Vancouver in 2014. 鈥淲hen you鈥檙e in a team environment you rely on other people and they rely on you鈥ou can kind of take a breather.
鈥淲ith (triathlon) you鈥檝e got to go for it. There鈥檚 no one else to depend on, it鈥檚 all on you. That鈥檚 what鈥檚 appealing about it.鈥�
Undaunted by the heavy training schedule, Hewson began his regime in the pool in December, swimming three to four times per week. In the months since, he has added extensive training sessions both running and on the bike and is gaining strength, stamina and confidence with each passing week.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a progressional thing, phenomenal really,鈥� said Hewson, who has played rugby much of his life. 鈥淚鈥檓 doing a little bit extra each time out, and looking back just a few months, I would have never been able to do the things I鈥檓 doing now.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a real path of self discovery for me.鈥�
Hewson鈥檚 primary objective for his first Ironman Canada is to finish before midnight, getting in before the 17-hour cutoff time.
鈥淚 would really like to finish by 10 in the evening but that might be too much to ask. I just want to finish before midnight, before the massage therapist goes home, so I can get a free massage,鈥� Hewson added with a laugh.
Hewson, a former member of the British Air Force who is now semi-retired and drives a school bus part-time, hopes Ironman Canada will be the first of many challenges he conquers over the next decade.
Next year, Hewson has plans to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.
