We’re used to watching veteran broadcaster Peter Williams on our television screens, but this summer you can cheer him on at the Port of Tauranga Half Ironman.
Peter has been training hard for the January 8 event, after deciding he needed a new challenge in his life. And his cause is extra special as he races to raise awareness and money for a charity close to his heart.
The Look Good Feel Better Foundation help women dealing with cancer to feel better about their appearance. Peter’s late wife Cecile was diagnosed with ovarian cancer 15 years ago and passed away nine months later. During that time she had some great support from the foundation.
"In that time between her first operation and her chemotherapy she had some very good treatment from the Look Good Feel Better foundation. It’s an organisation that doesn’t have a particularly high profile but they do marvellous work and I thought I’d raise some funds for them,” Peter says.
"It’s a nice anniversary to remember. In January 1996 she was diagnosed and I do this race in January 2011 so that’ll be 15 years to the month.”
The race will be a relatively new experience for Peter, who admits his last experience with the sport was over 20 years ago.
It was a short distance triathlon around the waterfront in Wellington and while he really enjoyed himself, work and life got in the way and racing moved to the back of his mind. Fast forward to 2010 when a trip down to the Taupo Ironman gave Peter just the inspiration he needed to get back into training.
Watching competitors battle through pain and exhaustion and still cross the finish line was an eye opening experience.
"Half ironman is not really about winning at my level it’s just about competing. And it’s about the challenge of going through the training and finishing the event on the day.
"I think people were a bit surprised when I told them my plans but the thing about a sport like triathlon is that it’s there for people of all ages. You can pick your distance and pick your own speed.
"I’m there to complete not necessarily to compete.”
At Port of Tauranga Peter will have plenty of family support with his parents, oldest son with wife and child, and youngest son cheering him on. His daughter in London can’t make it in person but will be with him in spirit.
What makes Peter’s efforts extra special is the fact that he has managed to keep up a regular training regime despite the demands of his job as TV1 newsreader.
Working mostly on the early morning Breakfast show means his energy levels are pretty low once he has time to train, but he says it’s just a case of willing himself through.
"It’s [training] been a bit frustrating in some respects. I work early mornings which gives you time in the afternoon but gee, when you’ve been working since 5:30 in the morning, when 12:30 comes around going for a run is the last thing you want to do.
"But the funny thing is once you get over that initial feeling of tiredness you feel fantastic. It’s extraordinary what exercise like this can do for you in terms of making you feel better.”
Peter has already made an impression around the TVNZ newsroom having lost more than 8kg.
