Make Me an Ironman
Beachbody’s “Make Me an Ironman” contest gives six everyday athletes the celebrity experience. The contest, launched by Beachbody Performance in November 2016, offered a chance to win everything one would need to complete an Ironman in the next year, including entry fees, coaching, gear, and nutrition.
Toro Performance Coach Jason Lentzke is working with Anne Parkhurst, one of six winners selected from the more than 2,000 entries in Beachbody’s “Make Me an Ironman” contest. After years of seeing Ironman give away free entries, coaching and gear to celebrities, Beachbody proposed the opposite: Why not give everyday athletes the VIP treatment?
“Instead of choosing famous Olympic athletes for a shot at an Ironman, Beachbody Performance is giving the triathlon experience of a lifetime to regular athletes,” says Gordon Wright, PR representative for Beachbody Performance. “That’s the whole aim of the program, really—to make the most iconic race distance more accessible and affordable.”
In addition to a free entry to their local Ironman race, the contest winners receive Ironman U coaching, a Quintana Roo bike, ROKA wetsuit, Pearl Izumi cycling shoes, HOKA running shoes, Zoot Apparel, Rudy Project helmet and sunglasses, and ample training nutrition from Beachbody Performance.
“Part of me still doesn’t really believe it,” says 60 year-old Anne Griner Parkhurst of Buckeye, Ariz. “I am so honored to be chosen and intend to make the most of this opportunity for myself and for others. Due to my age and that I just got started in my late 50s, I remember when my goal was just to do a sprint. Then it was just to do an Olympic. I thought doing a full Ironman was overreaching for me.”
Though the prize package provides most everything one will need to train for their Ironman, actually crossing the finish line is contingent upon the work done between now and race day. To maximize these preparations, each contest winner can select a coach from Ironman U, the event’s coaching certification branch.
“The triathlon community is so positive and supportive,” says Parkhurst. “I don’t think the excitement will die down until I cross the finish line. I am excited to be a part of this journey and following the other five participants in theirs.”
Read more from Susan Lacke at http://www.triathlete.com/2017/02/lifestyle/ironman-dreams-come-true-6-contest-winners_299056#HtGbWqzIdt3D8WbA.99
