Mason Swayne, an undergraduate in the Class of 2027 from the US, is the elected captain of DKU Running Club for Academic Year 2024-2025.
Mason successfully completed his first Ironman triathlon at the Asia-Pacific Championship last summer, conquering a 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike ride, and 42.2 km run in 13 hours.
Mason Swayne completed the Ironman at Asia-Pacific Championship in Australia this summer.
Why did you decide to participate in this event?
I’ve run marathon distance before and had completed a half-Ironman last summer. I felt a calling to this race. Faith is super important to me and I’ve realized when I feel called to something to chase after it. I also understand I’m my best self when I have a goal that may seem impossible to others and totally reasonable to myself.
How long and what have you been doing to prepare for this event?
My training plan for the race started on January 1st and I came up with it myself, with the help of several friends who I couldn’t have gotten to the point without. To say it only took 6 months is kind of an understatement. My years of experience with running and cardio were the background for this training and helped me get to the point of succeeding. While I crafted his own training plan based on previous experience, the camaraderie of the Running Club and the support from DKU Athletics played a crucial role in my success.
Mason finished the Ironman by swimming in 1:19:59, biking in 6:47:23, and running in 4:07:42.
Expectations vs reality of competing in the Ironman?
The reality of a race like this is that race day is the reward and is the finish line. The real race is the months and years of training that led up to the event. The reward for pushing yourself in training is the success of finishing the race.
Most memorable/valuable moment?
I would say there are two most valuable moments. 1. Getting to see my family fly to Australia to support me for the race. And 2. The feeling of euphoria crossing the finish line. Screaming and yelling from so deep in my gut that I felt I could run through a brick wall after 140.6 miles of exercise. When I crossed that finish line I really felt it, I was pounding my chest and yelling and I felt on top of the world.
Mason competing in the Ironman Triathlon at the Asia-Pacific Championship
Lesson learned from the Ironman experience?
Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it. Preparation is key. The most important lesson that I could take away from this experience is that I could do the coolest thing on the planet, and it wouldn’t matter if I didn’t get to celebrate it with the people I care about. Tomorrow is not promised, and loving people is the most important thing you can do.
Anything else you would like to share?
Meeting people and sharing this experience on YouTube was the most fun thing I’ve done in my life. The last 6 months were really the best 6 months of my life, and it wouldn’t have been without the people and experiences I had. So, I’m gonna take on life with the same mindset I had in training and keep getting after it. I don’t know what’s next but I’m gonna take it on with a smile and with faith. If anyone wants to train for something please let me know!
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