The last 10 years have been a rollercoaster ride for Eddie Wade, but thanks to the sport of triathlon the ride is now an exciting one.
Growing up in England, Eddie came from a farming background. He had always been a fit and active person and was a good long distance runner during his school years.
As a teenager he also competed in tetrathlons – made up of horse riding, shooting, running and swimming. He was a talented athlete, but decided instead to join the army as a young adult.
Then after many years of service, a serious accident in 2005 ended his career in an instant.
Eddie fell down a flight of stairs while at work and broke his back in three places. The extent of his injuries forced him to be medically discharged from the army.
"That was the icing on the cake really, the end of my army career. That was one of the reasons why I moved over here. Everyone I saw day to day back in England reminded me of what I've lost,” he said.
"I don't really like to talk about that too much now, that's in the past and I have a fresh start now.”
To try and start a brighter future for himself, he decided to move to New Zealand after seeing a job advertised as a prison officer.
After being so fit during his army career, Eddie quickly saw his fitness plummet as he overindulged in television, food and beer.
His life was good – married with children, but something was still missing and he began feeling more and more down as his weight continued expanding.
Eddie even sought professional help before a couple of his good friends, who were training for and competing in long distance triathlons, suggesting he give the sport a crack.
"Triathlon has turned my life around, I was in a total hole. I actually went to the doctor at one point because I was feeling quite depressed.
"He put me on anti-depressants but I didn't take them. I sat there looking at the packet thinking ‘is this what it's come down to?' That's when I got talking to my friends and they suggested triathlon.”
At the time Eddie was tipping the scales at 106kg, having been 90kg when he arrived in New Zealand. He thought about it for a while and then set himself a goal of completing the Taupo Half Ironman in 2010.
Thanks to his training he dropped 15kgs and ended up crossing the finish line in 7 hours and 15 minutes. The race also taught him some good lessons and gave him the motivation to get faster and stronger.
"It felt pretty awesome coming across the finish line. It was a big learning curve for me though, it was really hard.
"I didn't get my wetsuit until a day before the race, had never been in the lake before and the suit turned out to be a size too small. It was really tight across my chest and I had to do the majority of the swim on my back because I couldn't breathe.
Now in 2012, the 38-year-old is aiming to complete in two half iron distance events this year before the big show – Ironman New Zealand in March 2013.
He would love to qualify for the World Championships in Kona, Hawaii but admits there's a lot of work that is needed to get that far.
Eddie finds it amazing reflecting on where he's come from to where he is now, and thanks the sport for giving him a new lease on life.
"Triathlon is like a drug… a very good drug.
"This last year I changed the way I was eating and training and have a much more positive outlook on what I'm doing and where I want to be.
"The mental thing is totally turned around, my whole mindset about life in general. I'm a much more positive person and I'm now looking forward to what's around the corner. My boys are on their bikes and already want to do what dad does.
"I'll be doing it for years and years. As long as my body lets me I'll be doing triathlons.”
