ONLY a few months after facing massive challenges but managing to defeat the odds and complete his first IRONMAN triathlon, Kura Mazongo is ready to do it again.
PE Express previously reported about Mazongo, a 46-year-old petrol attendant at Engen in Mount Pleasant, who stole the hearts of many residents in the Bay when he overcame great difficulties to partake in the race.
First, while training for 2020’s IRONMAN, before it was cancelled due to the pandemic, he was involved in a hit-and-run accident that shattered his bike, one that the community had helped raise funds for.
To add to his problems, after repairing the bike with more donations from the community, it was stolen during one of his evening shifts at work.
With a borrowed bike and lots of hope and perseverance, Mazongo accomplished his dream and crossed the finish line in a time of 14:01:44 in November last year.
This specific race was described as one of the toughest as athletes had to contend with rough seas and strong wind conditions on the bike and run courses, making it even harder to believe that not so long ago, Mazongo didn’t even know how to ride a bike and taught himself to swim.
Following this remarkable feat, Mazongo can hardly contain his excitement to be participating in the IRONMAN African Championship triathlon event on Sunday, April 3 in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Having experienced what IRONMAN racing is all about, Mazongo said that he would be better prepared this year.
“I am doing a lot more mileage in training to try to better my time. Let’s just hope that the weather is a lot better than last year on race day; the wind must stay away,” he said with a laugh.
“I haven’t found a group that I can train with so I’m reading a triathlon-based book to help and guide me along and that has been one of my challenges this time: not having anyone to train with, especially when it comes to swimming in the sea.”
Mazongo added that this year, he struggled with the registration fees for the race but Grindstone Property Management and Development settled the entry fee for him.
He is still using the bike that IRONMAN South Africa’s Paul Wolff lent him and although he lacks equipment such as bike lights and a watch, that will not deter him from finishing this race either.
“I trained for two months and I’m happy at the chance of participating in another IRONMAN. I’m also planning on doing another Comrades Marathon and Two Oceans event,” he added.
On race day, Kura’s morning will begin with a 3.8km swim at Kings Beach, Humewood. Coming out the ocean swim, he will head into transition where he will fetch his bike before heading out on the 180.2km bike course.
The 42.2km flat run course will be the last hurdle that Kura and other participating athletes will face. The multiple loop marathon run course takes athletes up and down Marine Drive through Summerstrand and Humewood beach fronts, with the finish line chute situated at Hobie Beach.
