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Flynn fit for Hawaii

Jackson Lavell-LeeBusselton Dunsborough Times
Jake Flynn will represent Busselton at the Hawaiian Ironman on October 12.
Camera IconJake Flynn will represent Busselton at the Hawaiian Ironman on October 12. Credit: Busselton-Dunsborough Times, Jackson Lavell-Lee

Jake Flynn will represent Busselton at the epitome of triathlons when he takes on the Kona Hawaiian Ironman in October.

The Hawaiian Ironman is one of the toughest tests for endurance athletes in the world.

The race includes a 3.8km swim, 180km ride and 42km run — the equivalent of running a marathon, riding two legs of the Tour de France, and swimming the Busselton Jetty Swim more than twice.

Flynn was inspired to take up Ironman when he presented the winner’s medal to idol Tim Berkel, who won his first Ironman event here in Busselton.

At 18 years old after showing some prowess on the bike, Flynn moved to Perth, taking up cycling professionally.

He has ridden internationally including in Serbia, where he completed his university studies.

Upon returning to Busselton, Flynn and his parents bought the Fat Duck Cafe.

While servicing bikes and serving other mad Ironman fans, his passion for triathlons was reignited.

“I decided to givemy childhood dream of doing an Ironman a go — first I tried the half Ironman but had a crash on the bike and didn’t finish,” he said

However, the determined 26-year-old wasn’t about to give up.

“I then signed up for the Cairns Ironman five weeks later and had a cracker of a race and came second for my age group, qualifying for the world championships,” he said.

“It was the first triathlon I’d completed since I was 12.

“When I have a go at something I go at it with full gas and the moment I decided I was going to race down here at home, in front of people I knew, and represent the shop, I pulled the socks up and went to work.”

Flynn attributes his meteoric rise in such a short space of time to a persistent schedule of training coupled with physio, massage, stretching, sauna and consuming large amounts of protein to refuel his constantly fatigued body.

“Each week I ride about 300km, run 70-80km and swim 13-14km,” he said.

“In Cairns, I did the event in 9hr. 33min., which put me at the pointy end of the race with the 10th-fastest time overall.”

His dedication to training gives him the opportunity to compete with the best in his age division and potentially take the next step to become a professional fIronman athlete. To do that, however, Jake must improve upon his one weakness — the swim.

“I was beaten well and truly in the swim, I never respected the swim for how hard it is,” he said.

“I’m training four times a week putting in the hard yards in the pool, pushing my limits and being uncomfortable.”

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