Hello!

Yesterday, I shared with you that I’ve embarked on an epic adventure that will accompany me over the next few years and eventually take me to the starting line of the Ironman World Championship.

I received many responses and emails, which fell into two main categories.

One group showed support for the journey, wanting me to keep sharing details and even expressing a desire to tackle challenges that had been on the shelf for a long time.

The other group, fully Portuguese speaking, had a… well, a pertinent question: “Where exactly are you going? What kind of destination is that?”

So, given the confusion arising from the fact that the name of the town where the race takes place sounds very similar to… a-word-that-should-not-be-uttered (use Google, change "k" for a "c" and you'll get the picture) this created a perfect opportunity to explain why it takes place on one of the Hawaiian islands, and, while we’re at it, make the project’s name more “family-friendly.”

The Ironman Triathlon started in 1978 when Judy and John Collins, a couple who had moved from California to Hawaii three years earlier, realized their dream of organizing a race that would span the island of Oahu: a swim at Waikiki Beach (2.4 miles / 3.8 km), followed by a Around-Oahu Bike Race (115 miles / 185 km), and ending with the Honolulu Marathon (23.2 miles / 42.2 km).

The fact that the event gained local popularity, combined with the duration of the race without a time limit (to give you an idea, the winner in 1978 completed the race in 11 hours, 46 minutes, and 48 seconds…), quickly made Oahu no longer the ideal location to safely hold the race.

So, in 1981, the Ironman moved to the less populated Big Island. Here, the swim is now held in Kailua-Kona Bay, the bike segment in the lava desert of Hawi, and the marathon along the coast, starting in Keauhou and ending in Kailua-Kona.

Crossing the finish line on Ali’i Drive is the ultimate dream of anyone bitten by the long-distance triathlon bug. For some, myself included, it becomes a lifelong goal, a project that demands us to be our best version and surpass ourselves.

It’s to the town of Kailua-“a-word-that-should-not-be-uttered” that the journey takes us.

As I shared with you yesterday, one of my goals is to motivate as many people as possible to push their limits and achieve their dreams, whether athletic or otherwise. To accomplish this, my project must be inclusive and appealing.

Since I can’t change the finish line location, I’m changing the code name: the #road2hawaii has officially begun!

Thank you for being on this journey with me!

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