Nicole Storm cried with pride for 30 minutes when she reached the finish line of her first-ever Ironman.
The physiotherapist, mother of two, and owner of two Family Physio clinics in Pāpāmoa came fifth in her first Ironman race and qualified for the world championship in Kona, Hawaii in October.
Storm started competing in triathlons two years ago, working towards the Taupō Ironman.
“The conditions were really good on the day. I had some mechanical issues on the bike, which means that I was probably about 20 minutes slower than I expected because I had to stop a few times to fix my bike, but outside of that, it went really well.
“I had an amazing day and I was really well prepared for the event.”
Pāpāmoa's Nicole Storm competing in the full Ironman in Taupō. Photo / supplied
Storm trained for two years, spending 16 to 20 hours a week doing a mixture of cycling, swimming, running, and weights at the gym.
During the summer she qualified for the World Champs in Pontevedra, Spain, in June and the Olympic Distance Triathlon World Champs in Australia in October.
With three world champs coming up, Storm said she was feeling elated.
Pāpāmoa's Nicole Storm running across the finish line of the Taupō Ironman. Photo / supplied
Storm said to others considering competing in a triathlon that “anyone can do it”.
“It’s such a fulfilling experience. You need to start somewhere.”
Storm started by competing in smaller events.
“There are lots of little triathlons in the Mount. That’s where I started.
“My very first triathlon was the women’s tri that runs in Pilot Bay. I did that two years ago. That’s where I started and then I just slowly worked my way up from there.”
