Our December Athletic Department Member of the Month has previously won an Ironman event taking out the Penrith championship in 2022.

Dropping to a half ironman would technically seem easier, but take it from us the training time and dedication to complete a 1.9km swim, followed by a 90km bike ride, and finished off with a half marathon—21.1km would be so arduous but necessary to complete one of the most challenging endurance competitions in the world.

This weekend Tom Kearns is taking on the Taupo Half Ironman in New Zealand

Tom’s training has involved a mix of aerobic endurance, strength training, and recovery, carefully balancing all three aspects to avoid burnout.

Tom recently completed the Cairns full Ironman and crossed the line in the insanely quick time of 8hrs 46mns.

He has since changed his focus to the shorter distance and changed his training regime slightly to ensure he gets the best result possible this weekend.

Swim training: Tom’s focus has been on building both strength and speed in the water, with a focus on long-distance swims, interval training, and refining technique.

Bike training: Tom’s cycling has involved long rides to build endurance, hill training for strength, and intervals to increase speed. Given the duration and intensity of the bike leg in a half Ironman, building mental toughness and optimizing bike fitting and aerodynamics would also be crucial elements of training.

Run training: The half marathon is often the most challenging part of the Ironman, especially after swimming and biking. To prepare, Tom would perform long runs, tempo runs, and brick workouts (which combine cycling and running).

Strength and recovery: In addition to endurance training, Tom’s strength workouts to build muscle, prevent injury, and improve overall performance have been incorporated. Recovery techniques such as massage, foam rolling and stretching complementing his cardio training.

Finally Tom’s Mental preparation: As Ironman events are as much a mental challenge as a physical one, Tom who we mentioned has won before has placed a strong emphasis on mental toughness. Tom has practised mindfulness and focus techniques to stay positive and resilient when fatigue sets in.

We are excited to award the December AD MOTM to Tom and we are even more excited to hear about the amazing upcoming results.