Tara Murray
A decision to change his life and lifestyle has led Keilor Downs David Deakin to the world stage.
Deakin used to weigh 150 kilograms and was the last person you would expect to compete in triathlons.
He started small and built his way up to half ironman event as the weight fell off. He recently qualified for his third world Ironman 70.3 championships, which will be held in December.
Deakin said it was exciting to get another opportunity to the world championships. He will compete in the men’s 45-49 age group.
“I didn’t have the best race and didn’t race how I wanted to,” he said about the Cairns event where he finished 16th as he was seeking to qualify.
“I had to get in the top 10 [to automatically qualify] so I had to see what happened.
“They had five [other] spots and they go down the list. I was the last one selected, I beat the next guy by three seconds.”
Deakin said his journey to doing ironman was about doing something that he can control. He said there’s also a bit of “insanity” in it.
“I used to be 150 kilograms and I lost a truck load of weight,” he said. “I’m 80 kilograms now.
“I changed my lifestyle around triathlon and it’s a bit of validation.
“There’s a few things [why he does it]. I like the lifestyle and everyone is healthy. It’s good motivation for my family and kids and it sets a standard for them.
“It also gives me something to work towards and you can push yourself beyond your goals.”
Deakin has a best time of 4 hours, 27 minutes. The event involves a 1.9 kilometre swim, a 90 kilometre bike ride and half marathon to finish the event.
Deakin said the run was his preferred discipline.
“With my long legs, it suits me better,” he said.
“Everyone hates the swim. I train for that four to five times a week at the Brimbank Leisure Centre.”
Deakin said he finished mid pack in his first two world championships. This year’s event will be held in New Zealand, making it a lot closer to home.
He’s hoping to improve on the last two times. He said he has a great support team around him to help give him the best opportunity to go well.
“The quality is really high,” he said. “I’ve had a few races where I’ve podiumed or won.
“In this competition everyone is really fast.
“It’s a really great experience. I want to try and get up there this year. I’ve got aspirations to get around the top, that would be a great achievement.”
