S1E4 -- Kona Calling with Jane Bockus and Maxim Knyazev

In this episode, I place a  Zoom call to the birthplace of Ultraman, Kailua Kona for a conversation with UltraMama, Jane Bockus.  Jane was the Race Director of the Ultraman World Championships from 1992 - 2017 and remains the brand owner of Ultraman.  She shares stories of the early days and her volunteer work with the Ironman World Championships.

In the Ultraman Canada 2021 athlete profile section, I speak with a Russian athlete--Maxim Knyazev.  He is the current course record holder of Siberman 515.  Maxim shares some training ideas and his goals as an endurance athlete which includes his own personal call to reach Kona for the Ultraman World Championships.

Resident raconteur, Steve King, drops by to share the Kona stories of the two original winners of Ultraman in 1983.

Time Stamps & Topics:
    01:20    Jane Bockus (UltramMama) Conversation
    23:00    Crew Story : Rory Bass about athlete Genzo Eto
    26:40    2021 UMC Athlete Profile : Maxim Knyazev
1:10:30    Steve King Stories

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Ultraman World Championship
• Keauhou Canoe Club
• Siberman 515
• Cappadocia Ultra Trail Race (Turkey)

Shout outs and mentions in this episode:

• Curtis Tyler
• Klaus Haetzel
• Don Ryder
• Sheryl and David Cobb
• Vito Bialla  
• Miro Kregar
• Petr Vabroušek
• Kurt Madden
• Ardis Bow

Show Contributors:
Host : Larry Ryan
Contributing Raconteur : Steve King
Announcer : Mary Jo Dionne
Production : 5Five Enterprises
Music  :  Run by 331

For show notes and past guests, please visit the Podcast Website: https://515theultrapodcast.buzzsprout.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/515TheUltraPodcast

If you enjoy the podcast, would you please consider leaving a short review on Apple Podcasts/iTunes or where you get your pods.   

I would like to hear from you and who you think should be interviewed.

Email : 515Ultraman@gmail.com

Transcript

Larry 0:46

And today will take us around for a topic for another Steve King story. Just before we start today's episode, I want to take a second to thank you for listening to my first three episodes and for telling your friends about my podcast. We immediately went worldwide in over 15 countries in just days. I truly appreciate each of you who share the links and help more people find 515. Please send me your feedback and rate the show wherever you get your podcast.

Jane Bockus (UltramMama) Conversation

Larry 1:44

Aloha, Jane.

SPEAKER_02 1:46

Hi there. Aloha.

Larry 1:48

Aloha. What part of the island is your home actually located on?

SPEAKER_02 1:52

I live in Kona, uh, which is on the west side of the island. Um, been here since 1971.

Larry 2:00

You must have seen some changes in that time of Kona.

SPEAKER_02 2:03

When we moved here, there was one traffic light in Hilo. That was it. 100 miles away.

Larry 2:10

Any anyone who's listening to this podcast obviously is going to know Kona as the home of the Iron Man World Championship and of the Ultraman World Championship. When the roadshow comes into town, the big Iron Man Roadshow, and the people that come with it, they they probably see Kona in a certain way, like all that hive of activity that goes with it. But what's it like to live there for the rest of the year?

SPEAKER_02 2:32

Much quieter. When they first when they first had Iron Man here, it was in February. But after two years, they decided that wasn't uh convenient because that's busy time anyway for tourists. So they moved it till October, uh, which is a uh not as busy a time. And it gives people on the mainland time to practice and then train through the summer. Yeah, which is good.

Larry 2:56

Yeah, that that that gives them the best chance to come in at a peak performance, I'm guessing.

SPEAKER_02 3:00

Well, better than it better better than when it was February.

Larry 3:04

But living in Hawaii, it's really summer for you all year round. It's one of the great advantages, and I know you take advantage of it in a way of joining in with your friends in paddling. Tell me a little bit about your paddling experience.

SPEAKER_02 3:17

Well, let's see. 42 years ago I started paddling, and then the club that I paddle with now, KOho, was formed in 1980, and I transferred to them because it's closer to home, and I've been with them ever since.

Larry 3:31

And and and and you you actually compete as well, like you're you're a racer in this.

SPEAKER_02 3:38

I have. Um this year, this island again is not gonna have a 70 and over women's crew. So uh, well, of course, with COVID that there weren't any races last year, and so far it looks like there won't be this year. We have one-man races with one man and two-man canoes, those we're allowed to have, which is great.

SPEAKER_06 3:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:59

But I don't race that. I I do the timing and help with the registration and stuff on that one.

Larry 4:04

Yeah, and when you do paddle, it's in uh outrigger, is that correct?

SPEAKER_02 4:08

Yeah, outrigger canoes, usually a double hull or single hull with six people or 12 people. Actually, COVID allows us to have 10 in the 12-man double hull. Oh that works out.

Larry 4:20

Nice, nice. Gives you that extra space.

SPEAKER_02 4:23

Right. And we were and we're masked until we're actually in the canoe with a paddle in your hands and the the boat is launched.

Larry 4:29

Oh, yeah. Is this kind of racing in an in an outrigger? Does is that ever at all dangerous?

SPEAKER_02 4:35

If you're going into island, uh, depending on the conditions, it can be somewhat dangerous. I mean, they do get they do hully flip over um with a cover on, it's hard to get out of it sometimes, but I haven't had that happen, so it's good.

SPEAKER_06 4:49

Oh, good.

SPEAKER_02 4:49

And then every every couple of years they have the international races, the world sprints. And I've paddled in Calgary, I've paddled in uh Australia, several places like that, brought home medals from those races, which is fun.

Larry 5:03

Oh, that's that's that's great. And and that was uh age grouping that you do that in?

SPEAKER_02 5:09

That is age group, yes.

Larry 5:10

Yeah, and so that's what you're saying that they they won't have that age group for for this year, though.

SPEAKER_02 5:16

It was scheduled this past summer in in Hilo, actually, and uh they had to cancel.

Larry 5:21

Yeah, that's unfortunate, but that seems to be the way of the world at the moment.

SPEAKER_02 5:26

Unfortunately, a lot of cancellations, especially with triathlon as well, which it's too bad because they especially with Ultraman with only 40 athletes, the only time they're together is at the start each day, and then they're really spread out. Yeah.

Larry 5:42

Hopefully we'll have we'll be able to start redoing our ultraman races in uh in a nice COVID-friendly way.

SPEAKER_02 5:49

Right.

Larry 5:49

I hope so too. Now, when you come to the Ultraman in Penticton, we always say that when you come to an Ultraman, you're coming to a family reunion. But for you, it's actually it is a homecoming because you you've lived in Canada for a period of time. Um, what was going on in your life at that point in time?

SPEAKER_02 6:08

Well, I grew up in Montreal, and uh my brother's still there. Um actually he's in Vermont right now, but he's from Montreal. Um and in 1964, I started with Pan Am. And so that's when I came to the States. And I flew with Pan Am for 14 years, and then my daughter was born, and I stayed home since then.

Larry 6:33

So with while you were working with Pan Am, then you made the move to Hawaii. Is that what happened?

SPEAKER_02 6:39

Or yes, I did. I was where I was based originally in San Francisco, met my husband who's from Hawaii, and we married the first year we lived in Honolulu and we moved to Kona in uh 71.

Larry 6:53

When you you've moved over to Hawaii and you're obviously in the Iron Man Mecca, and you've been a longtime volunteer there. You're not a triathlete yourself, but you've you've been at the Iron Man World Championships a number of times. Um, how did how did you get involved with that? And what have some of your duties been while you've been volunteering there?

SPEAKER_02 7:15

Well, the very first year it came here, uh, the fellow who was in charge of the swim came around to all the canoe clubs and asked if we bring our canoes down to the bay, line them up, and everybody swam out one side and back on the other. They only did that one year, though. After that, they used buoys because keeping canoes in line for a mile 1.1 miles, it's they swam farther than they had to.

Larry 7:41

Yeah, but that would be that would be a great sight to see. I think that would be really amazing.

SPEAKER_02 7:47

Yeah. So after that, they they used buoys, and then I was in charge of uh the changing tents on the pier for a couple of years. And then a friend of mine who was working with ABC Sports uh asked me if I'd help with her thing because she was going to be away out of town. And I from then on, I was uh running the war room for ABC Sports where we track all the athletes. This was before the days of cell phones, and we had landlines throughout the course with the monitors, each of those calling in and letting us know where people were, and then we had a PA, a production assistant in the room just following us. So it was kind of like the Jerry Lewis telephone with all the phones around the room, and each we had the big checkboards on the walls, and we we tracked all the top men, the top women, uh the big island athletes and the special stories that they were covering.

Larry 8:39

Oh, that that's that's a real uh insider view to what's going on in the room.

SPEAKER_02 8:43

It was fun. We knew what was going on before anybody else did.

Larry 8:47

And and is that still kind of your role there, or have you done other things now?

SPEAKER_02 8:52

No, because now that they have the timing chips and cell phones, cell phones made it a lot easier, but then with the timing chips, they have that and they did away with that. So then I was uh I was in charge of aid stations, aid stations director for a couple of years, and then after that I uh I gave that up because when Iron Man set its date for um October, it was getting too close to Ultraman and it was got getting kind of hectic. So I gave that job up.

Larry 9:23

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:24

Now I just run an AIDS.

Larry 9:26

Okay, yeah. So you're still involved though, just not as heavily. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 9:30

Not quite as heavily, no. Yeah. But I did AIDS stations for a while when Peter Young, the AIDS stations director, moved to Honolulu.

Larry 9:39

So now Ultraman comes to the to the island, and and you've you've gotten involved in Ultraman as well. Now, whenever anybody looks up the history of Ultraman, it always talks about in 1983 that held the first Ultraman, and Curtis Tyler, Alex Smith, Conrad Will were the organizers with Curtis being the race director. And then it kind of skips along to and he handed it over to you. What what happens in that eight or nine years in between? How how is your involvement with Ultraman leading to you being the the person who takes over Ultraman?

SPEAKER_02 10:14

Well, there were two years that Curtis didn't put it on. It was too hectic, and he had some um legal things happening. And so in '92, um, he wasn't going to do it. I was over here working on my ABC, and actually, yeah, that was still ABC. I think it switched the next year to NBC. Um, I was working on that, and um Klaus Hetzel called from Germany and said, What's happening with Ultraman? We're all we've got all, you know, we have a dozen people coming. And I turned around to Curtis. I was in his office using one of their computers, and he said, I can't put it on this year. I don't have time to get the USA triathlon sanctioning. And I said, Well, can we do it unofficially? And he said, Well, yeah, keep me out of it. Um, so Don Ryder came over. He was he was an announcement announcing with Steve King that year for Iron Man, and he came over, and so we put on Ultraman unofficially with uh 14 people, I think, 12 of them from Germany. And we cut back on a lot of stuff that Curtis felt was necessary, and it really worked out well. So the next year we got the USAT sanction. We did it again with Curtis. He was involved but not involved.

SPEAKER_06 11:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 11:34

And uh the next year he said, Why don't you just take it over? So we did. And so I've been race director until three years ago. I turned it over to Cheryl and David Cobb, who'd been helping put it on for a bunch of years.

Larry 11:47

Right. Yes, of course we all know Cheryl and Dave. When you have the alt the first Ultramans at the island, what was the significance of the original course?

SPEAKER_02 12:00

Well, it goes around the whole island. Um the very first, well, the first when Curtis was doing it, it started and finished at Kailua Pier. But um traffic and things are getting busier now, so we we changed the finish line to the old airport, which is a county facility, and it's a lot easier to get permits and not have to close roads, etc.

SPEAKER_06 12:24

Right.

SPEAKER_02 12:25

So it's less than a mile away from the original start. So you still go around the whole island, except for when the volcano won't let you.

Larry 12:32

And that that happened just recently, too, a couple years back, right?

SPEAKER_02 12:37

Yeah, and we so we started and finished every day in Kona. Well, actually, you started in Kona, uh finished day one in Kona, day two started and finished up in Javi, and then they ran from Javi back to Kona. So we stayed on the west side of the island because the east side roads were closed.

Larry 12:56

How did the athletes find find that course in comparison to the regular course?

SPEAKER_02 13:00

Well, actually, when uh Vito Biala wanted to take over and he uh said, Well, we can make it more than 40 people, and I said, No, we can't. He said, Yeah, we'll start and finish every day in Kona. And there were two years I think we did that, the numbers went down. The mystique of going around the island is part of Ultraman. And so we're keeping it to under 50 people. I like 40. Right. And uh that works a lot better, and we're going back around the island.

Larry 13:28

Yeah, it's it's it's great to go all the way around and see the different landscapes as well.

SPEAKER_02 13:33

And exactly, yeah. All the conditions are different too.

Larry 13:36

All the conditions, yeah. But there's always going to be rain. Somewhere. Somewhere.

SPEAKER_02 13:41

Somewhere.

Larry 13:42

So you're you're talking about how it's it's limited, and I think most people know that the the the race is limited to uh it's invitation only and limited to 50 people, sometimes 40. But I understand there was one year where there was more than 50 people. What what happened on that year?

SPEAKER_02 14:00

Yeah, there were years that Curtis was trying to make it big too. He had to start separately on day three and day two, and it just wasn't wasn't the same. So when I took over, I said it's not going to be more than 40 on this island.

Larry 14:13

All the Ultraman events that I've been to, I I find the same thing that the the smaller the event, the the more you get the ohana of the event. And there seems to be that 35 to 40 person range that, depending on which course it is, gives you a good level of competition, but it also allows for you to get to know everybody or or a lot of the people.

SPEAKER_02 14:38

Yeah, all the athletes and the crews. The crews get really close as well.

Larry 14:43

Because they end up leapfrogging over one another as they're going through the course and they get the talking, and and it's that's one of the great experiences of doing Ultraman is being on those crews and having those conversations on the road.

SPEAKER_02 15:01

Let them help him get back on course. Uh, if somebody has something go wrong with their bike, they'll lend them another bike. It it really works out well.

Larry 15:09

Yes, and and that's that's obviously the mystique of Ultraman, I think, is is the way that all that works. And it's not just I'm out there to win a race. We're all out there to get to the finish line and and have an experience along the way. Exactly. When I was speaking to Steve King recently, he was talking about how that happens within your own organization as well, for the for the race organization, in that you have a number of people who continue to come back year after year, even from the mainland, in order to be part of this race. So uh maybe you can just tell me a little bit about some of those people, who they are, what what they do when they come year after year, and and and why are they doing it still.

SPEAKER_02 15:51

Right. Yeah, the gal who is our medic comes every year. Um Steve and Gene come from Canada. There are announcers. I call him the voice of Ultraman because he announces all of the Ultraman races, which is wonderful. A lot of people come from Honolulu as well. Um yeah, so we we it's it's a multiple, it's a big family that it's a big family reunion. Thanksgiving weekend, American Thanksgiving weekend.

Larry 16:19

Yeah. You know, we talked about a little bit earlier some of the times where the courses had to be changed due to lava flow and things like that. What what are some of your other memories of times when there was something that happened in the race that that just made it maybe slightly dangerous or like really memorable because it it caused something in the race? Like, what are some of the trials that you've had to face as a race director to put on this race year after year in in a place that is prone to climate?

SPEAKER_02 16:54

That's a good way to put it. Prone to climate or prone to Madame Pelle.

SPEAKER_06 16:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:58

Um, the volcano back in the beginning, Curtis had to change it several years too, because they used to start at volcano and go down the chain of craters road to the coastline and then along the coastline. Well, in 87, 88, the lava crossed the highway there again. So they had to go down to Hilo and then cut back. So the course has been changed a number of times just because of Madame Pelle, the volcano decides to erupt and cuts through certain roads. So there were there were a couple of years that it got changed. Then when the they repaired that road, they went back to that course and again it lava came down again and changed it, and they never did repair that road. So they had to, we had to change it to the course that we have now. So people people who say, Well, I've got the Ultraman record. Well, maybe they have for one year, but if the course changed the next year, it's not the same record.

Larry 17:55

Have there been any other years where there's been like low finisher rate or something due to some extreme things that were happening?

SPEAKER_02 18:03

Um well, the couple of years, the year that uh we started and finished in Kona every year when Vito was trying to make it big, that that's when numbers went down again because it was starting and finishing in Kona every year. Or I mean every every day.

Larry 18:17

Do you do you have any other um memories of particular athletes like the ones that really stand out for perform performances that they did or struggles that they had to overcome during the race, or maybe even the fact that like just them getting to the finish line was an amazing story? Like, do you have any of those that just pop out of your head?

SPEAKER_02 18:39

Um the years that Miro and the guy from Brazil they would compete against each other. Um they're both really good swimmers, both good cyclists, but usually uh the guy from Brazil would finish ahead of Miro, and yet when Miro got on the run, they would run together three-quarters of the way. And when it got to the airport, uh they'd uh the Brazilian guy would say, go. And Miro would take off and get first on the run, whereas the Brazilian guy would win overall.

SPEAKER_06 19:13

Oh.

SPEAKER_02 19:14

Until one year, I think it was the year that Miro turned 50, he won the whole thing. And it was really cool. Yeah.

Larry 19:22

And and just as a point of reference for the listeners out there, the World Championship has opened its application process for the 2021 November race, if you are interested. Now, Jane, since you've been the caretaker of this race for such a long time, do you have any specific tips that might help the athletes out there who want to apply to maybe get a little bit ahead in their application when they're being compared to other applicants? What are the things that the board is looking for that are reviewing these applications?

SPEAKER_02 19:56

Well, lately there have been so many more athletes wanting to come to Hawaii. Now they have to do another one, an Ultraman in Canada or Arizona, Florida. Yeah, they have to have done another Ultraman in order to qualify to come. Still have to do an Iron Man, finish an Iron Man distance. Let's say an Iron Man doesn't have to have the M dot brand, but it has to be an Iron Man distance in order to show us that they have the wherewithal to finish.

Larry 20:28

Just aside from just doing the Ultraman qualifier and doing the Iron Man qualifier, are there any other tips that would make someone's application stand out against another person who is also applying?

SPEAKER_02 20:43

Be a nice person. You know, there's some people that have a reputation of they're they're so competitive that they don't share their abilities or their feelings with anyone else. And if if they're a turkey, they don't get invited. That's why we keep it an invitational. Um the the guy who started Iron Man said to me the second year that I was in charge, he said, Jane, keep your race an invitational. If you hear somebody is a jerk or they've got a reputation of cheating somewhere, don't invite them. You don't have to. So that's why we're keeping it an invitational.

Larry 21:23

Right. I definitely uh appreciated having uh the time to speak with you today, Jane. And I know you gotta get going.

SPEAKER_02 21:30

So um hear them over in the background.

Larry 21:35

There are other things going on in your house, and you've got to speak to that grandchild of yours. So I I do appreciate your time today. Thank you for for coming on Zoom with me and and having this conversation and sharing some of your ultra stories. And hopefully the people listening will will have a better appreciation of some of that ultra history from from the person who knows it best, Ultra Mama Jane Bocus.

SPEAKER_02 21:59

Great. Thanks. Thank you. Thanks, Larry. Good luck.

Larry 22:10

I had no idea that Jane was behind the scenes of those Iron Man telecasts. What an interesting way to view the race. Coming up in my next episode in the featured interview slot of Ohana members will be the 13-time 515 distance racer Juan Craveri. And my new episodes are currently coming out every three weeks. So be sure to subscribe where you listen so you don't miss an episode. Remember, what happens on the road gets told as a cruise story. And I want yours to add to this podcast. Plenty of people have said on Facebook that they have great stories to share, but the submissions are not yet rolling in. If you would like to tell your cruise story from any race, it doesn't have to be an Ultraman. Please email

Crew Story : Rory Bass about athlete Genzo Eto

Larry 23:00

me at 515Ultraman at gmail.com and I'll set you up with the directions. And now for a cruise story from Ultraman Canada alum Rory Bass.

SPEAKER_01 23:13

Hello there. My name's Rory Bass. And in 2017, I crewed at uh Ultra 520 for an athlete from Japan, and his name was uh Genzo Ito, and he was only 21 years old, which I believe is one of the youngest finishers of that event. And what made it even more interesting is that um he spoke no English and I speak absolutely no Japanese, so we found it uh a little bit of a challenge to communicate directly, since all he could say in English was uh thank you. So what he did bring with him was a longtime uh high school friend, um lifelong friend basically, quite fluent in English because he had spent some time going to uh post uh high school uh education in the United States. So at the end of day two, my main goal was to get this athlete some food for the next day since you can't get anything out on the course, and off we head to the local grocery store. So we start at the uh fresh fruit and produce section and grab some bananas. Okay, awesome. So off we go down each aisle of the store, and we come across the aisle that has a few personal items, and he says he needs some Vaseline. So we pick up some Vaseline and then a few spots down from that is uh contraceptive. So I'm standing there, it's the three guys near closing time, and we're holding a bunch of bananas and a tub of Vaseline, and they're looking at condoms, and I'm thinking, this does not look good. And my fellow crewmate is telling me of when his experience when he was in the United States that these particular condoms that he had picked up off the rack were the best ones, and I just smiled and nodded and quickly walked away to let them pay for the bananas and Vaseline and condoms. So that was the extent of our shopping. And uh yeah, I don't think I've ever done that before.

Larry 25:53

Thanks, Rory. I wasn't sure where that was going at first, and I'm not sure of where it went either. If you want a crew at UMC this year or any year, we are always looking for people to connect with athletes as it's difficult for people who come from around the world to travel with a crew. This is a great opportunity to preview the race if you are thinking about signing up. Or perhaps you're an Iron Man looking for a way to volunteer within the sport. Check out Ultraman Canada's website to get more information about volunteering opportunities. Come and meet the people you are listening to and make new friends from around the world during this three-day circus in July. Let's meet another of the 2021 Ultraman Canada athletes right now. Each episode,

2021 UMC Athlete Profile : Maxim Knyazev

Larry 26:50

I take the time to introduce you to an athlete that will be competing in our upcoming Ultraman Canada 2021. Today's athlete is a 515 veteran and holder of the fastest time to finish Cyberman 515 in Russia. He is coming to us from his home in Moscow. It is my pleasure to present to you today Maxim Knezev.

SPEAKER_04 27:11

Hello, hello to everyone. Uh, thank you so much, Vladimir. I'm glad and I'm happy to hear you and speak with you. And I really wait uh and uh prepare uh prepare for this time for 22 July uh to come and uh get a great race uh in Canada.

Larry 27:31

You're kind of new to triathlon, you've only been doing this since 2017, is that correct?

SPEAKER_04 27:36

Yes, my first race was um in Estonia. Uh the the city was uh Otepa Otepa. Uh it was in uh 2017. Um it was the half half Iron Man. It was my first race. That was uh yeah of uh my start as uh as hobby um and my little addiction uh of of often yeah but yours has grown very quickly.

Larry 28:07

Usually people you know spend a few years in Iron Man and and they build up to the ultra distance, but you're you're jumping into it right away, and uh I think that's really interesting that you've you've pushed yourself to that limit right away.

SPEAKER_04 28:21

Yes, I I don't know how, but maybe some little talent or uh addiction, but um I make my my shape um about um about half of yeah to race. I was ready to race uh my first time. Uh let me uh about five hours, 20, 24, 25 minutes for uh for half hour, I remember. It's not so past time, but uh for the for the first time is not so bad.

Larry 28:56

No, no, that's excellent, yeah. And did you did you always know that you wanted to move into the ultra right away, or did you discover the idea that there was an ultra after you'd been doing Iron Man?

SPEAKER_04 29:11

Um ultra ultra ultra races uh was um some um unbelievable for me. I can imagine that uh sometimes I can uh participate in uh such uh races. How I um heard the first uh time about uh ultraman competition, it's from book um uh becoming ultra. Rich Raw, yes, Rich Raw. Yeah, uh yes, he uh he is the author of uh the of the of the book. Uh so I I try to think how it can uh is it real? It was absolutely impossible for me. Uh but in uh 2018 uh I write um to director of Cyberman race and ask him uh I asked him to that that I want to uh to participate in uh Cybermen, but in that time I don't have full race, uh full race finish. He answered me that uh that I can't uh participate, but I asked him uh again and again, so he uh he sent me okay, and I did it uh in 2018. My time was my finish time was uh 20 28 hours. It was so too so long, so long race, too long, I think.

Larry 30:40

With Cyberman, um, I don't imagine too many people have, at least on the North American side of the world, have participated in this event. Can you tell us a little bit about what Cyberman is like, what the courses are like at Cyberman, what what kind of scenery you see, um that kind of thing.

SPEAKER_04 30:59

Oh, okay, sure. Um Cyberman, then the same rules, um at the same distances uh for three days uh as um classic uh Ultraman uh race. Uh so first day it's uh it is um uh 10 kilometers swimming, uh 145 uh bike, second day is uh 2706 uh kilometers uh for bike, and uh third day, running day, uh 84 84 kilometers for running. Uh first day the um uh swimming station is uh it's a comfortable water. Like I think it's um something like in Canada will be it was lake. Um my time uh in first in first attempt uh in 2018 was three hours, eight minutes. Eight minutes it was the first uh time I was the first, but uh I have a very weak uh bike shape. Uh so after first uh swimming stage I lose about seven seven positions. The big problem of Cyberman is the bad road. One guy uh in in last, not in last in 2019. Uh he had he's the um previous uh record holder. Uh he's from his German Volker. Um he had uh he had um some problems with his um his bike, something something is was broken. I don't it's it's uh cause uh the reason of this is uh about very bad road.

Larry 32:43

Okay, yeah, so the bumpy roads like broke part of the frame or part of the handlebars or something.

SPEAKER_04 32:49

Yes, uh but the third uh third day running stage uh is very um good and comfortable for calculate uh and uh making your plan because uh um in Canada uh uh from a from start to finish uh uh 84 kilometers, uh not uh not rounds, but uh in Cybermen is that 12 12 rounds for seven kilometers each.

Larry 33:17

Alright, so you're doing you're doing you're doing 12 laps.

SPEAKER_04 33:20

Yes, 12 laps. And uh you can calculate your plan. Um for example, in my uh last year in my uh great Cyberman race, uh I start uh first lap pace uh five five minutes uh 10 uh 10 seconds uh per kilometer, and after I make it faster, faster, faster, and I finish with pace of four uh four minutes uh 30 seconds per kilometer.

Larry 33:49

That's that's nice that you can keep going faster as you go.

SPEAKER_04 33:53

Yes, but uh after after this, I asked my uh I asked my coach uh so what um what do you think? Uh um what can I do better? He said me that uh I think you should uh you can um you can run uh 80 84 kilometers uh sub sub six or maybe sub uh 620. Maybe oh it's it's great goal.

Larry 34:20

Yeah, yeah. And is that course fairly flat?

SPEAKER_04 34:24

Uh yes, flat without uh but um I can find it um about 800 uh little little less than uh thousand uh meters that uh of elevation, yeah.

Larry 34:39

Okay, yeah. Um have you looked at our course? We have a lot of elevation on our run.

SPEAKER_04 34:46

Big elevation for running course, yeah. Yeah, but uh as I study it um after after 50 56 uh kilometer is uh yes so it's uh good um good ability uh to uh to make uh my pace faster.

Larry 35:09

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. We're downhill at the end, so yeah, that's always a a good part, unless your legs are burning too much to be able to control the downhill run.

SPEAKER_04 35:17

Yeah, and of course, and of course I believe I believe that um uh by course will be um uh will be very comfortable because the Canadian roads should be excellent.

Larry 35:30

Yeah, yeah, our roads are fine. Yeah. And now you you've also done a um some ultramarathoning as well, and you've done a race in in Turkey. What what was that race in Turkey that you did?

SPEAKER_04 35:43

Uh Kappadokia, if you if you have heard about No, I have not heard of that one.

Larry 35:48

Tell me a little bit about that one.

SPEAKER_04 35:50

Kapadokia was my um very difficult and but uh amazing race. Um because I was uh I was ready for run uh such distance. It was um 120, 120 kilometers. Uh but I have I had some problems um with my clothes because um when uh the night comes, I feel cold. It was um unpredictable for me. Uh so I think about uh maybe I should uh stop and uh and uh out uh out of race. Uh so you should move, right? But when you stop, it will be dangerous for you.

Larry 36:29

What what kind of temperatures were you having in the evening there?

SPEAKER_04 36:32

Um in from in for from in evening uh tonight uh the temperature fall to about two uh two degrees, one two degrees. It's close, close to zero.

Larry 36:48

And and is that um short and t-shirt. Yeah, yeah. And and and is that a a loop course or is that a point-to-point? Do you have a crew that comes with you on that run or are you by yourself? How how does that run? Work?

SPEAKER_04 37:03

Uh no, no crew. It's just uh by my by myself, race.

Larry 37:08

And with your with your Cyberman, now you got the course record.

SPEAKER_04 37:13

I don't know how how I did it. Uh then um as you know, I think in in all in all world uh with the pandemic and the quarantine. Um so I train hard uh and uh sleep train, sleep train, and uh work was on uh uh online um yes by by my laptop. So I have a um such a big pool of time um for for training for training part. But uh I think uh I thought that so if uh it's my second time I should um improve improve my my results, so I should uh maybe I maybe I should be in, or but of course uh I was ready to uh to be second or third. Uh but when I when I saw for the list of participants, um I was surprised that um there were they were all very strong cathers. Uh five or six uh of them was in corner, you know, Iron Man Corner. Uh after first day, uh I make um I sweep, I swim uh um much faster than uh my first my first attempt. Uh so my time, uh my finish time of 10 kilometer swimming was two two hours 50 minutes.

Larry 38:42

That's excellent.

SPEAKER_04 38:43

So after it's not so fast because I'm not a swimmer, uh, but it's very good. I was only seventh. Wow. Uh my course was a little uh a little bit better. My position after first day was six. So what should what should I do for win for for or maybe for win two or three positions? Um I didn't have the uh the answer for this question. But after second day, um my my coach said me you you shouldn't ride uh fast uh from from the start, about um 108, uh 180 kilometers. Uh I ride um softer than I can. After uh yes, and last uh 90 kilometers, I I ride um faster and faster. Uh overtook first, so I stand the third position after maybe 10 kilometers. Uh overtook uh the second, so my my position uh stand the second, and uh I think it's amazing. I'm a second in the big in such a big um bike course uh uh to finish uh was about 20 kilometers. I ride um uh um fast and faster. I I feel bad, I feel excellent myself, uh so I can I can do my fast and faster, and I ride right uh and I saw them car uh crew crew car stuff.

Larry 40:17

Right the crew for the other racer in front of me?

SPEAKER_04 40:19

Oh my god, he he is there. And I um there was uh some uh uphill, and I and I know that it's my it's my time uh to broad to broke him. Uh so I find all my power to make it um the fastest uh uphill uphill uh ride uh in my life. Uh and I uh the the previous uh the previous uh sec second day no second day by course record was uh seven hours fifty-two minutes. Uh my time was seven hours forty-eight. Oh course record.

Larry 41:05

So by chasing him, chasing him up the hill, it you got you to a new record.

SPEAKER_04 41:09

Yes. And after second day, all participants um uh they see to me as a leader saying, Oh wow, where are you from? How would you do it? Because I was a um underdog, and nobody, nobody thinks that I can uh to be um but but my position after second day was a third.

Larry 41:32

Um third overall in the race.

SPEAKER_04 41:34

Yes, uh nine minutes from first uh and uh six minutes from the second.

SPEAKER_06 41:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 41:40

I uh yes, I knew that uh run running day will be um will be mine, um I believe, and uh I think uh I'm I'm sure in the fact that uh I'm a better runner than cycle and the swimmer.

Larry 41:56

Right, that's your strong suit, yeah. Now let me ask you a question. So if you you put all this energy into the last 90 kilometers of your bike ride, did you have any fear that you burnt out your legs for the run? What what did you do that in the day two evening before the day three start? What kind of recovery did you do? What kind of foods were you taking in and fluids and stuff like that? What what was your preparation for day three, given that you'd you put so much into day two?

SPEAKER_04 42:28

My my superpower is the um sleeping skill. I know that I should uh sleep as um as much as I can. So when when we when we came uh to hotel, I ate uh pasta, pasta portion, big pasta portion, and go run run to bed, and uh it's very difficult to sleep. You are excited, so very very excited uh from the race, and uh it's it's a big problem. Uh somebody somebody of uh Cybermen's uh I asked them after race, uh they slept, they slept uh four or three hours.

Larry 43:11

Yeah, there's just so much adrenaline going through your body.

SPEAKER_04 43:14

Yes, adrenaline, yes, the reason of uh this difficult is adrenaline. Uh I try to I try to sleep uh as um as um as long as I can. Um so a warm uh warm shower and uh and a roller uh for the legs. No no uh no Marvel.

Larry 43:39

Nothing special.

SPEAKER_04 43:40

You just nothing special. Uh just um uh I keep in my mind uh that I can win. And I and I was um and I was ready to I was ready to s to squeeze everything out of myself.

SPEAKER_06 43:54

Right.

SPEAKER_04 43:55

So I I know I know uh uh that uh in the third day uh I I can win, or maybe it's a little dramatic, but um I think about it was a uh strange uh but I was ready to die on the on the race.

Larry 44:14

Yeah, you're gonna you were gonna give it your all to either win or just blow up and and be done.

SPEAKER_04 44:20

I I promise to to myself that uh I ne uh um I never stop. I will run uh as I can um and if it if it will be enough for me, it's okay. So my my scenario was the was right.

Larry 44:39

So when you come to Ultraman Canada, you you already have a a course record for Cyberman, and you you've talked a little bit already about the world championship, and maybe maybe that might be a goal for you. But what what's your goal in coming to Canada? Why why have you chosen Canada to come to for a race? What are you hoping to get from this race and what what do you know about the the race itself already?

SPEAKER_04 45:04

Um I I love Canada. So Canada is my favorite um country from from childhood. I don't know. My my favorite uh uh actor is uh Ryan Reynolds, he is Canadian. Uh my movie star athlete is Lionel Sanders from the um uh Canada. My favorite comic uh comics hero, Deadpool, he is from Canada. When I write um the official races of uh Uberman, uh I I uh when I um checked checked uh out uh in the internet, I find three three races. Right. Arizona, Florida, yes, uh, and uh Canada. Yeah, and the world uh champion uh championship uh in in uh Hawaii. Right. So Canada was was my choice uh because um I'm not good um in hot in hot weather. It's it's my problem.

Larry 46:04

I have some bad news for you. I have some bad news for you. Yeah, we have the bad news, yeah. We we have the hottest race of all four.

SPEAKER_04 46:15

Really?

Larry 46:16

Yeah. Because we we are in the peak of our summer.

SPEAKER_04 46:22

But but I'm but this year I'm uh I'm prepared to Kona, so it's it will be a good uh good a good experience for me.

Larry 46:32

And uh well you see what happens is in Kona they do theirs in November, where it's cooler and rainier, and ours is in the middle of the summer. Um our temperatures on the days of our races usually range between 30 and 37 Celsius. Yeah, and on the run course we're usually around 35.

SPEAKER_04 47:00

Oh, it will be funny. Funny race. You're gonna have to get some heat training in my first uh my first Iron Man race um will be in the 12th March, five uh five weeks in Dubai.

Larry 47:16

Oh yeah. So that that'll be some good heat training for you.

SPEAKER_04 47:21

Uh so in uh Canada my choice uh was um Canada race, Ultra Man uh after after finish after Cyberman finished, uh I check out checked out uh internet and uh find uh there that 20 2019 uh world record by Petr Babrusek uh was um 28 minutes uh less than my time. It was I I was surprised uh this news uh I'm I was so close to world record. But in 2020, a little uh months, month months later, Petr Babrusek uh did it again and uh make a new world record. He beat himself. Uh so now the world record is 20 hours, uh 56 56 minutes.

Larry 48:14

Yeah. Is that something that you're looking at then?

SPEAKER_04 48:18

Yes. Um, I think that I should make a big goal for uh for uh for my Canadian uh race, and I will try to beat the world record. Uh actually I think that uh uh Z uh Ultra is very fast race. If you know uh the bike the bike course uh for second day is the 55 laps. Um okay they they did uh they did everything for for Mike uh for make their race uh the the fastest. Yeah, but I think uh the attempt uh the the attemption to to beat such record uh is uh the big goal, so if I will do it, it will be a great uh attainment.

Larry 49:11

Um yeah, yes, achievement, achievement.

SPEAKER_04 49:14

Achievement. And the second and the second point, um uh after finish, uh 24th July. I was in the 27th of July. So three three days uh later after finish.

Larry 49:30

Yeah, that's that's amazing. Small interjection in the interview here. While editing this episode, I realized that Maxim's audio cut out right when he said the most important part in that sentence, which was he has a baby due three days after the race. So it could be a very exciting race time for him when he comes to Canada. And he kind of just went on to the next thing. So we didn't hit on that as much as we should have. But yeah, congratulations to you and Daria.

SPEAKER_04 50:05

Uh but um they may they make they make uh um to beat the record uh a good goal, but um it's very dangerous because um something can uh go wrong and weather can be worse and something something else. Uh but my my main uh goal for the race is uh to win. I hope that all participants will be strong men, um experienced with big experience. Uh, all of them uh I'm sure is Iron Man to make some uh competition with them.

Larry 50:44

Yeah, we have a good field coming for the race, uh, if everybody's able to make it into Canada, you know, with COVID and things like that. But it looks like it's gonna be a very competitive field this year for sure. And you're obviously one of those people. What I like to do is try and have one half of a conversation about your races and things that you've done, and then the second half is more about you personally, so that um when the athletes are listening to these conversations, you they get to know each other a little bit. So when you meet in in Canada, you already know each other a little bit because you've heard these conversations. At this point, what I'd like to do is uh transition over to the more personal side of what your life is like. And I always do that by doing quick rapid fire question round, which I'm calling two minutes in transition. What what's the favorite event that you've done so far?

SPEAKER_04 51:41

Of course, it was the several men uh last year because my um my the fastest rate and the top trade when I when I want.

Larry 51:50

What's the last piece of equipment that you purchased?

SPEAKER_04 51:54

Uh swimming cute. Oh, okay. What's uh piece used uh type uh because type of used for for best winners? Because my my water part is not horizontal.

Larry 52:15

Yeah. What which athlete do you most admire? What what do you do for fun that does not involve swimming, biking, and running?

SPEAKER_04 52:28

Uh I read the comic. So I collect I collect comic system and uh I like to drive uh cut. No, it's uh very um fast to drive and on track. Uh like a little you drive you drive on a racetrack? Um it's fun. Not that uh cost me.

Larry 53:00

Right, yeah, yeah. But you still go onto a track, it's not like just out on the roads. Yes, yes, yes, on track. Oh that's nice. Yeah. Um tell me a little bit about your your family life. Um, you know, um what do you what do you do as a typical family in in Moscow? With how many children do you have? What are their names? Um tell me about the your family life.

SPEAKER_04 53:21

I have uh now we have uh one uh one baby, uh Vic Victoria, uh four years, uh four years uh old um girl, and then in the nearest future uh we have uh one more. I hope it will be boy, uh but how it can be, I don't know now. Yeah um unfortunately my my wife, uh Daria, she she's not so happy uh of my three-at long uh hobby. Uh but but after uh Cyberman race um uh last year she started to think uh that maybe I can uh I can some some future or um I think uh before before that uh before this uh she thought that uh it's uh it's wasting time, wasting time and money because um TT bike is very expensive, uh running running shoes so expensive too. Uh we should um flight in another country. It's but but I but I think um uh but all this time I believe that uh I can uh um become stronger and stronger. So I dream about to become pro pro edit uh from uh from am at all. Okay, yeah, excellent, yeah.

Larry 54:54

And you definitely need you definitely need a lot of family support when you do these things.

SPEAKER_04 55:00

Um so yes, unfortunately my my wife uh doesn't have uh the same dream as as as mine, uh but it's it's normal. Uh now she uh she believe she believed uh to me and um I asked I ask I asked her, uh would you like um um me to beat the world record? He answered that of course, do it. But sometimes uh I should spend uh lots of time. Um for example, right now I'm not in Moscow, I'm not in uh with my family. Um my family, uh my pregnant uh wife with uh four four years um uh daughter in Moscow, but I am in uh um Thousand City. Um maybe you know Gilinjik, Sochi, Sochi Olympic City.

Larry 55:57

Sochi? You're in Sochi?

SPEAKER_04 55:59

Uh two two hundred uh two hundred kilometers from Sochi.

Larry 56:04

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_04 56:04

Yeah, uh because here I can ride my bike. For example, tomorrow I have a uh uh five hours uh bike station in Moscow it's impossible, right? Unfortunately, so I I choose um uh now I want to to be with my family to see as uh the my bike's stomach is uh growing, but uh unfortunately I should train uh train two or three three times per day uh to make my shape um stronger day by day. But uh I believe that um after after this after finish, uh she will glad to me, she will be proud of me.

Larry 56:48

Right, yeah. Yeah, so you're you're you're making a sacrifice to leave your family to go and train, and they're obviously also making that same sacrifice to have you away.

SPEAKER_04 57:00

Yes, of course. For example, after 10 maybe or 20 years, uh my children ask me, uh, Daddy, what uh great things uh you did? Uh I asked them, I work hard, uh I buy one apartment, I I bought uh three or five cars. It's not so it's not so great. Uh that's why um I'm addicted uh to to win this race, to win Canadian race, yeah uh for present uh this my own legacy to my children.

Larry 57:41

Yeah, yeah, to be a role model and and to make sure that they they see that. Yeah, that's that's understandable.

SPEAKER_04 57:47

To be a role model for my children, of course.

Larry 57:50

If you're taking this time off and you're and you're also going to be going to Dubai to train and do a race there, and you're you've got this goal of maybe becoming pro with with the sport, um what what's able to fund you at this point? Like what's what's your regular day job? Um, how how is that being affected by this break that you're doing for your training? What do you do for work?

SPEAKER_04 58:18

For work, and um now I have um my main work is um I'm a geologist. So my main work on online um and some somebody asked me about deposit, about uh coordination, about some minerals uh and I write some report of this.

Larry 58:42

You're able to work, you're able to work as a consultant online.

SPEAKER_04 58:47

Of course, geologist consultant, consultant, yes. Some times ago, uh maybe one year ago, about uh before before pandemic, um my goal was uh to find some um gold deposit or maybe some rare uh mineral mineral deposit uh and it's really um it's possible it's possible to make big money. That's what my goal. I would like to become uh millionaire and it's real. But uh after pandemic, after quarantine, I think it's it's not main things in our life and uh and they change. It's like uh insight in my mind.

Larry 59:38

Yeah, so the I think for many people the the the pandemic has given them the opportunity to stop what they're doing in their life and look at it carefully and say, is this really making me happy? Is this what I want to do? And is there something else that I can or should be doing that will that will be more rewarding for me?

SPEAKER_04 1:00:03

Worldview, yes. Yeah, many people change change uh their worldview. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Larry 1:00:10

Get out get out of that rat race and just change your perspective. Yeah. Of course.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:16

Yeah. We should um uh I I think about more uh ecological uh and sustainable principles, principles um in my life and uh dead things um which I want to to talk about uh with my with my children.

Larry 1:00:31

Do you have any do you have I think you've mentioned that you do have a coach? Um what kind of program um did your coach put you on? Who who is your coach, first of all, I guess let's let's find out who is your coach, and then uh what kind of program are you on to prepare for Ultraman Canada?

SPEAKER_04 1:00:48

I have a two two coach for swimming, swimming coach, is a pro pro-swimmers uh uh and uh run run and bike uh coach. Um Anton. Anton is a bike and uh runner coach, and he's a great uh trail runner. Uh and our main program, Ultra Man Race. We do power power walk in gym every time, two or three times per week. Uh some some um most uh athletes uh do it uh only in uh winter time in spring they stop uh they stop this. Uh but we but we decide we decided to uh to do it all all year. Okay. Yes. Um a little risky, uh, but we believe in a big profit.

Larry 1:01:47

Okay, so you're you're you're trying to continually work on increasing your power um through throughout your entire cycle. You're not gonna you're not gonna break off of that at all.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:00

Um for example, uh today uh I squat uh squat uh ten reps uh or ten sets. And uh yes, it's a first uh first workout, uh and uh after this uh the second workout was uh 80 80 minutes run um by by by half rate zone. Um it's it's another running because when you have a I mean that running on heavy legs um is um um a good experience because after you have a um light legs you run uh as tracers, right?

Larry 1:02:46

Yeah, yeah. So you're you're trying to simulate the the heavy legs and still run hard on those by combining it with your your weight training.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:57

The main idea to accumulate uh strong and power all year.

Larry 1:03:02

Yeah. No, that's that's uh that's an interesting approach. We'll we'll have to follow and see how that works.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:09

In uh in 12th uh March will be as um we we will see the result of such approach.

Larry 1:03:19

Yeah, yeah. That'll be it'll be interesting to see how that works out for you. We'll have to check your times. And is that an Iron Man distance race you're doing in Dubai?

SPEAKER_04 1:03:28

Uh huh. Half Iron Man. 1.9 swim, uh 90 bike, and uh 21 run.

Larry 1:03:34

And is that uh is that actually an Iron Man race? Is it Iron Man brand?

SPEAKER_04 1:03:38

Yes, yes, Iron Man Brandon. Okay, yeah.

Larry 1:03:41

All right, I'm gonna look up your results for you after I want to see how you did. Um now, is there as someone who has has a record at a race, um, and other people listening to these podcasts are obviously looking for, you know, a tip or an edge in training. So as someone with your experience now of holding the record at Cyberman, is there one great tip that you could share to help other people? Uh maybe maybe your coach Anton or was it Constantine have shared with you or something you've figured out on your own? Um, one thing that would help another person to like do well at Ultraman?

SPEAKER_04 1:04:32

My main advice um to everybody who wants um to uh to become Ultraman, uh not do it uh in one year. Um for example, my first uh my first Cyberman in uh 2018 was torture for me. It's really a hard torture for me. It's a bad idea, it's a bad scenario. Um and the second uh at uh Cyberman in uh 2020 uh was a really sport race uh for my shape. I feel that for for example, from um never I have uh never think about to stop race in second time, but in first time after 30 minutes uh of swimming, I think wow, I think it's not for me, I didn't ready, I should stop. And all 28 hours I think about to stop the race. Uh so uh if somebody really wants to become ultra man or another ultra marathon races, uh you should train them to be sure that you are ready and be really ready. Yeah, of course with coach. If you self training a sportsman, it's not for you. Self training, I think. Um enough for 10 kilometers running, not so fast, or half marathon. Marathon half uh half uh Iron Man or full Iron Man distance, or and of course uh ultraman uh universe of uh ultra races is a very difficult and dangerous uh races, and um everybody should know that uh it really can kill you. So you should be ready and feel feel your legs, feel your mind, feel your heart that um you can do it. And without this confidence, uh not try to raise some some ultra.

Larry 1:06:42

Now, who will who will you be bringing for your crew?

SPEAKER_04 1:06:47

Max, uh the same, the same first name as as as as mine. Uh he will uh the cap of uh my support team uh in Cyberman. Uh second person is um uh Alexander. Uh Alex uh he's a video operator because we want uh we we want to make a movie about uh Canadian race. And uh in ideal scenario we should have third three three um three members of uh support team. But um every every um each person each person is the uh costs for uh for for this journey. Uh and so we see I think we can do it uh with two two members, but if you we but if I want to win or maybe to to try to be the world record, we should three members. So I I I think the third members is the best variant is Anton, my coach.

Larry 1:07:52

Yeah, yeah, it would be uh yeah, it's uh helpful to have a coach with you to to keep it. You don't have to answer this question if you don't want to, but it's not every day I get to speak to uh a Russian person. And so um I was just wondering like, what is your take on what's happening uh politically in Russia right now with Novalyev?

SPEAKER_04 1:08:15

Um yeah.

Larry 1:08:17

Uh is that is that a big deal over there?

SPEAKER_04 1:08:20

Because over here in North America they're making it very big in the news, big uh big deal and a really big problem because our um our president and uh and other people uh who are strong in in in government, I'm uh I'm I can answer you honestly, it's it's bad people. So um everybody, I think maybe not everybody, but um 80 uh percent of that people who have money they think about immigration.

Larry 1:08:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:57

It's very bad time for Russian. We believe we believe in the um in good uh good and happy uh future, but I think it's maybe 10 years we we will live in stronger conditions, unfortunately. So um yeah for Navalny is uh he's in prison now and absolutely illegal.

Larry 1:09:24

Right. Yeah. And and do you do you think that there'll be enough of a populist uprising to to back him even though he's in prison, or do you think it'll be put down again and Russia will remain under control?

SPEAKER_04 1:09:40

Um back him, I don't think so. The worst uh scenario I it's 50-50. He can uh he can die there.

Larry 1:09:50

Right.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:51

It's uh it's uh unfortunately it's normal.

SPEAKER_06 1:09:55

Right.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:56

But I but I hope uh he he will live.

Larry 1:10:02

Okay, well uh thank you very much. Uh I've really appreciated your time today, and uh it's interesting to get to meet uh the athletes that'll be showing up at our race. So I appreciate you coming in and telling us a little bit about yourself and uh giving that information for all the other athletes that are listening today. And hopefully when we all get together, we all know each other a little bit better through these interviews. So thank you very much.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:27

Yeah, thank you. Thank you so much to you, Latin.

Steve King Stories

SPEAKER_00 1:10:33

Now, here's another deep into I thought that two of the very first people I would want to talk about were in fact the two original winners from the Ultraman Hawaii event in 1983. And they are Kurt Madden and Artis Bow. Now, interestingly, both of those uh athletes came back to the Big Island in 1985 and won again. There were some slight changes in the bike courses uh um that first year on and onwards. There were a couple of changes. The bike course on day one was uh 65 miles instead of 90, as it is now, and then the bike on day two went up from 160 to 171.4. So things have changed slightly, courses have changed slightly over time. However, you look at those original winning times, they were still superb 21.41 uh for Kurt and 26.57 for Artis. Now, Artis was also ninth overall uh on in on the first one in 1983, but they both came back and won again, as I mentioned, in 1985. Kurt's winning time that time was 2211.04, well ahead of the rest of the field. But in uh the women's race, with artists winning again, she recorded a magnificent 25-44-51, which would still be a huge winning time. But she was third overall that year. Now, since that time, only two other women have uh gotten a size third place at the World Championships, and they are Amber Montfort and Hilary Biscay, two very well-known uh triathletes. So let me tell you a bit more about uh uh the ability of those two athletes because sandwiched in between those victories was 1984, of course, and 1984 it was the 88 Iron Man champion Scott Molina who took the win at the Ultraman, and well-known tri-athlete Lynn Brooks for the women. Now, Kurt Madden, he has been top 10 at the Iron Man World Championships before. He's also won the uh US track and field 24-hour run, the national championships before. But what was stunning was the fact that in 2013 he came back to the big island 30 years after that first attempt in 1983, at the age of 58, and he ended up with a seventh place overall. That was 26 hours and eight minutes and I think 25 seconds, but he also did a sub-three hour swim uh on day one in 2013, and that is phenomenal. Anyone who's done the Ultraman knows that's a a big deal to go sub-three hours. Now, Artist Bo, let me go back to her for a moment as well, because uh I saw her also in 1986 when we had our first official Iron Man Canada event in Penticta. We had held an event since 1983 at Iron Man Distances, but in 1986 it was the first official Iron Man Canada. And artist tied for second place in the women's division with her friend Sally Edwards. Since then, amazingly, she has come back almost year after year to be a crew, to be a volunteer, to even be the dog setter for Cheryl and Dave, uh, the present race directors of Ultraman World Championships. But what was wonderful was to see them amongst the very first inductees into the Ultraman Hall of Fame. So I hope uh we get to see more of a story and possibly interviews with those two original champions, Kurt Matten and Artis Bo, who I know is artist the artist.