Multisport: Davy's iron will knows no barrier

Heath Davy carries a note with him. It sits beside his bedside table as he readies himself for the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, tonight and was written by the late running great Steve Prefontaine: To give anything less than you best is to sacrifice your gift.

It's a relevant reminder for Davy. Prefontaine, one of the most popular athletes ever to come out of the USA, was tragically killed in a car accident. Davy's life was threatened by a mole on his knee, no bigger than a 5c coin.

Auckland's Davy was like any other "triathlete geek" until the mole was diagnosed as a level three (they go up to level five) melanoma.

He nearly did nothing about it. Another 12 months and it may have been too late - but, as it is, Davy has battled the condition and used his Ironman qualification as a weapon against it.

Davy had planned to attend the wedding of a close friend in Hawaii and compete in the Half Ironman at Kona at the time of diagnosis.

"The doctor was not that thrilled but I had set myself to go to the wedding and decided to do the Half while I was there."

Davy did well and qualified for the world championships, something he had missed out on by just one spot at the Bonita Ironman New Zealand Triathlon in March.

"But I put it out of my mind and returned for the treatment. My health was the No 1 priority."

After surgery he underwent radiation treatment but revised that after suffering terribly from the first few bouts. "I was approached about alternative treatments and went on a strict regime of organic foods, fruits and vitamins. It cost me $300 a week but I was so disciplined. I was shocked to think that at 33 I could die from something like this. From the day I found out I wanted to beat it."

Three months later, after sticking rigidly to his treatment and a further double treatment of radiation, he slowly returned to exercise.

"I was totally wasted away and very tired. But slowly I was able to run again, and then swim and bike. I knew I was lucky to be here and made the most of everything I did."

Davy remembered he had qualified for Kona. "I set a deadline and thought that if I got the clearance and felt OK that I'd give it a crack."

That clearance came two days ahead of his deadline and he headed to the Gold Coast, where he was able to train in the same group with five-time Ironman New Zealand champion Cameron Brown.

"I had to be really careful to train at my pace. I listened to my body and took some days off to make sure I was not too tired."

He then travelled to San Diego with another well-known triathlete, Stephen Sheldrake, for their final preparation for Hawaii. It was not new for Sheldrake, whose brother Brent also recovered from cancer - and both brothers will line up on Sunday in the pro elite field.

For top-class triathletes like Brown, South Africa's Raynard Tissink and Germany's Faris Al Sultan, the most searching examination will be whether they can keep up with last year's runaway winner, Germany's Normann Stadler.

Davy is competing in the 30-34 age-group champs and is hoping to break 10 hours. "I know it is going to be a very, very tough day. Then again, that's nothing to what I've been through."

- HERALD ON SUNDAY