Harvard resident Pattie Dalconzo, 46, will compete in the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, on Oct. 10, racing against some of the world’s best triathletes. This famous triathlon includes a 2.4-mile swim through tough ocean waves, a 112-mile bike ride, and a full marathon of 26.2 miles over lava-covered terrain.
For a triathlete, there is no bigger day in the sport than the Ford Ironman World Championship. It is the race that defined the sport as it came of age, and continues to be the defining race for any avid triathlete. Annually, more than 100,000 triathletes worldwide attempt to qualify for an invitation to the event; only 1,800 succeed.
To Dalconzo, earning a Kona entry is a familiar accomplishment. In 2008, in only her second competition, she placed second in her division at the Lake Placid Ironman, earning her a spot in the world championship event in Kona. She finished in the top half of her division. After only a few weeks of recovery from the 2008 world championships, Dalconzo began training for 2009, under the guidance of Dr. Steven Victorson, owner of Swymfit at Harvard Ridge.
Dalconzo dominated her competition in triathlons from Montreal to Maryland this year, winning her division in every race. She finished first in her division at the Eagleman Half Ironman in Cambridge, Md., in June, finishing more than four minutes ahead of the closest competitor, which earned her the 2009 qualifying entry in the Ford World Ironman Championship.
