KOTA TINGGI – As the second day of the Desaru Coast Multisport Festival crosses the finish line, the atmosphere is building up for the marquee event, the Ironman 70.3.
Among the 1,475 participants that will be lining up on the shores of the Westin Hotel is Lim Chee Yong, who was the youngest Malaysian contender at the 2018 Ironman World Championships in Hawaii.
Entering the physically demanding triathlon at 21, the Langkawian qualified for the World Championships after coming in third during the 2017 Ironman Malaysia in his hometown.
His time at the 2018 Ironman World Championships was 11h 13m 41s, coming in at 33rd in his age group.
But what’s more spectacular about his achievement is the fact that Chee Yong taught himself how to swim by watching video tutorials.
He began watching swim videos on YouTube and three months later, joined his first Ironman Malaysia in 2016, where he had to swim a distance of 3.8km in the open sea.
After the challenging swim, the triathlon continues with a 180km bike ride battling slopes and ending with a 42km run towards the finish line. Chee Yong finished his first Ironman with a time of 11h 57m 18s.
Now with the experience of competing among the toughest Ironman contenders, he will have the wind at his back for the Ironman 70.3 or Half Ironman event taking place tomorrow.
But just because it is half the distance of the full race, it is not a simple walk in the park for Chee Yong.
“It is not just about the distance, but how you compose yourself during the event.
“Even though it is a shorter distance tomorrow, having to deal with the weather and cramps will be what makes the difference,” he told reporters.
He said for tomorrow, he will be aiming to finish under 4h 45m.
“My personal best for the Half Ironman is currently 5h 01m which I had set during the 2019 Ironman 70.3 in Langkawi.
He also added that in the future, he will be targeting to participate in the SEA Games, where the triathlon event encompasses the Olympic distances of 1.5km swim, 40km cycle, and 10km run.
The Desaru Coast Multisport Festival began yesterday with youngster-focused Ironkids kicking the weekend off. – The Vibes, July 23, 2022.
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