Iron will: the Ironman used to be considered a survival challenge, until two-time winner Tim Deboom joined the fray and changed everything. We caught up with him on the eve of the 2005 Ford Ironman Triathlon Championship in Kona, Hawaii, to discuss the secret behind his incredible will to win

How have triathlons evolved in the last few years?

The sport as a whole is getting bigger and a lot more competitive. Every time I go to Hawaii, it's more and more guys. And we're actually racing. It's not just survival. It's who's more fit and, more important, who has trained the hardest.

You've broken your leg twice, suffered a concussion and a broken cheekbone after getting kicked, and had your back broken by a grandma who ran you down in her Lincoln during training--are you sure God wants you doing this?

[Laughs] I think he's just making me learn my lessons out there. If everything went smoothly, it wouldn't be as satisfying.

You also passed a kidney stone while running in 2003 and finished in 1998 despite suffering a concussion early in the race. How do you maintain your drive?

I like to focus on all the training I've done for it and my past accomplishments. And I just pick a spot up the road and make it to that spot. When I get there, I pick another and go to that.

Ever think about your times?

Oh, God no. I can't even spit out my times--I know about what they were. But time doesn't matter. It's all about place. First place is all that counts.

With all the adversity you've overcome, why keep at it?

I think it's just a life-changing experience. To complete a triathlon and to know you've pushed your body through one--it makes things around you seem insignificant. When I'm done with this and I've got to go get a real job, it won't seem too bad.

For tips on training for your own triathlon--and, maybe one day, the Ironman--turn to page 101.

COPYRIGHT 2005 Weider Publications
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