Team ETPA 2008

Team Member - Deb Rielly

Nick Name: haven't earnt one yet

D.O.B: 25 Dec 1968

Place of Birth: Korrumburra

Debut Year: 1997

Bike: Race bike-TCR C1 with Corima Wheels, Profile Bull horn tri bars with gears at end of tri bars Ultegra 10 speed

Wetsuit: Zoot Zenith

Sponsors:

Future goals:

To continue in triathlon as long as I can, never forgetting why I do it, and that is..FUN!!!, to become a stronger faster, smarter athlete and ultimately qualify and compete in Hawaii (for someone who was never going to do Ironman, and then, "oh well, i'll just do one" like a drug of dependence, it's addictive!)

Seasons results:

• 2007/08 Hazelwood Winter tri sprint-1st o'all female

• Inverloch sprint -1st o'all female Sheppartn Half Ironman - 5:18, 4th in age

• Cape Paterson sprint -1st o'all female Geelong 70.3- 5:28, 7th in age (vomited every 3-400m of the run, med tent, revised nutrition)

• Port Mac Ironman Oz - 11:56 (pb by 10mins) 9th in age

• Pb's are such as their title suggests, Personal, time is the most common measure, my Pb however reflects a race in NZ, The world olympic distance triathlon championships, 2003.

May 2003 I was diagnosed with Breast cancer and underwent a mastectomy and dense dose chemotherapy. In June I received a call to say that I had a spot in the Aussie team to compete. After much consideration (20 seconds) not knowing my prognosis, after discussion with my doctor (GP) who said there was no way that I could do it, I decided to start training.

Every 2nd Thursday my body would undergo a massive poisoning to hopefully rid me of cancer. Within days I had no hair and was taking on the complexion of ' a chemo patient'. People around me were encouraging, yet skeptical of my goal to compete.

Training was limited, for days after chemo I couldn't swim in the local pool for risk of infection, cycling was just plain tough and I could only do 25 km max. and couldn't go alone in case of collapse. Imagine running 1600mtrs, as your heart rate increases you feel the blood pumping in your veins. Imagine every red blood cell is covered in slime, thats how it felt when I did my run training in preparation for the 1.5km swim, 40km cycle and 10km run.

I told people that it was about completing, not competing, deep down I still felt that competitive edge. If all went according to plan and there were no delays with my chemo, I would have 9 weeks from my last chemo until race day. I planned on increasing my training, and be fit and ready, someone forgot to tell me that as the treatments go on there is a build up or residual effect. Three weeks after that last shot of poison I started to feel a bit better, I told myself that the lack of physical training could be made up with mental training and positive visualisation.

As I donned the Australian uniform, zipped up the wetsuit and covered my bald head, I lined up with 89 others in my age, every stroke of the swim I thought of my beautiful twin boys who were in Australia, stretching as far as I could, imagining I was reaching to them. Every cycle of the pedals I asked my brother for his strength, and felt his hand on my back to help me up the hills, I stole energy from anyone who passed me, especially drafters (cheats deserve it). Lastly, every stride of the run I shed a tear, as I ran past the cheering crowds, I stuck out what chest I had and I was a winner. That day I do believe that I realised how important mental strength could be. To some this may seem a bit weird, yes I was on medication, no it wasn't a hallucinogen, I think that it is what athletes call the zone, this was my zone on that day. I completed the race in 3:04, I got 64th in my age.