Jacky James is an ‘overweight’, self-employed mother of two who has laid down the gauntlet to complete Ironman NZ in 2011.
Her goal is to prove that an "ordinary, everyday, unfit and overweight working mum” can make it through an ironman event without being an elite athlete.
Jacky says she has always been overweight and has never really been into any sport or physical activities.
But after having her second son in January 2008, she decided something had to change and made the first move by starting to get active going out for walks.
During the family holiday in Whangamata that Christmas/New Year Jacky came across the Contact 393 event.
"I said to my husband while were there I should just do that, so I did,” she says.
"The swim was fabulous, the bike was hell – it was only 9km but it felt about 90km in the hills and then I had to walk the run because I had absolutely nothing left. It was incredibly hard but I was absolutely hooked and I just loved it.”
In her first season she competed in four triathlons as well as the King of the Bays ocean swim.
Almost two years after her first 393 race in Whangamata, Jacky still has the triathlon bug and has so far lost 10kg with the aim of shedding 10 more.
"I had finally found something that got me motivated enough to do some exercise. I have so much more energy to run around with the kids. Even though I’m fatigued from training it’s a totally different feeling from just feeling lacklustre.”
Most people would be satisfied in their progress in the sport at that point – but not Jacky.
Always wanting to push the limits, she made the decision to start training for Ironman New Zealand in Taupo next March.
"Knowing me as I do, I’m the sort of person that sets big goals. I thought at some point if triathlon was something I was really going to get into then ironman was something I’d eventually do.
"There are some people who don’t get it and think ‘are you mad?’ and ‘what are you thinking?’. But I’ve built an incredible community of supporters around me and they all believe in me 150%.
"I talked to my doctor about it and she was fantastic. I said to her ‘do you think someone like me could do ironman?’ and she said of course you can.”
Jacky has stuck to her promise and is now training brutally hard for the event. Sacrifices have certainly been made but she knows it will be all worth it once she crosses that finish line.
Four days a week Jacky puts herself through double training sessions, with gruelling long sessions on two further days.
"I feel like the finish line is getting frighteningly close now.
"I don’t break any land speed records – I’m a slow potter, but to actually be out there for such a long period of time is achievement enough for me.”
Along the way Jacky is hoping to inspire others like her to give triathlon a go, and is also racing to raise money for the Gynaecological Cancer Foundation.
