ALTHOUGH he has not had the best preparation, it is not preventing veteran triathlete Yee Sze Mun from getting to the starting line at the Ironman World Championships at Kona in Hawaii on Oct 10.
The 72-year-old said a back injury had forced him to take it easy for five weeks, disrupting his training programme.
“I have skipped the high mileage training for three weeks and missed out on two weeks of high intensity training. But, I am consoling myself that it is better to go into a race under-trained rather than over-trained,” he added.
After competing in the Olympic-distance race in Port Dickson in July, Yee felt a nagging pain and it became more serious, to the extent that he could not swim or run.
On the road again: Yee (right) going for a light run with training partner Jason Thiang. “I had to seek treatment for it. The medical experts suggested that I should not be taking part in gruelling endurance events at my age, and even told me that if I didn’t heed their advice, the pain would stop me from continuing to pursue my passion in the triathlon.
“But, I am very determined to stay active for a few more years,” he said.
In his 16th attempt over the Ironman distance, comprising a 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42km run, at the upcoming race, Yee is hopeful of getting across the finish line.
“I am willing to take the one brave step into the unknown. After going through the tough training regime as a run-up to the race, it will be satisfying to relish a good payday in achieving my target at the end of the race. Visualising the dream has been driving me forward,” Yee added.
Following his previous outing at Hawaii in 2000, Yee took nine years to earn his berth when he clocked his personal best of 14’46:48 to emerge as the winner in the men’s 70 to 74 years age-group at this season’s Langkawi Ironman.
For his sixth appearance at the world meet, he is aiming to better his best effort of 15’23, achieved in 1997.
“I do not want to set a specific target because it will create additional pressure. But I have the desire to improve on my time, tackling the tough course in Hawaii.
“It is difficult to predict the outcome as the unexpected hitches in a race are beyond my control,” he said.
Recently, World of Sports sales and marketing manager Glenny J. Da Costa presented Yee with the running products from Mizuno as a gesture to acknowledge his courage.
Da Costa praised Yee for proving that age was not a barrier in taking up the challenges.
“He is certainly a role model to inspire and motivate others to adopt a healthy lifestyle through active participation in sports. It is fantastic that he has been attaining surprising feats,” Da Costa added.
Meanwhile, two other Malaysian qualifiers will also be featuring in Hawaii, under The Bike Boutique Kuala Lumpur banner.
The duo are Carmen Leong and Mohammad Hafiz Wong Abdullah, who came in as the top Malaysian in the women’s and men’s sections respectively at the Langkawi Ironman this year.
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