Parker personal trainer competes at "Super Bowl" of triathlons
Eleven hours and 8 minutes after she started the race, Parker resident Sydney Cornell crossed the finish line at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.
A photo of her at the finish line shows her wearing an exhilarated grin, a race medal and a lei of purple flowers. She finished 19th in her age group, women 35 to 39.
"It was an emotional experience," she said. "It was hard, exhausting, but was very empowering to conquer."
The Kona Ironman consists of a 2.4-mile swim through ocean waves, a 112-mile bike ride in 100-degree heat and 80 percent humidity and a 26.2 mile run - a full marathon - on terrain covered in volcanic rock.
The Kona Ironman is the "Super Bowl" of triathlons, Cornell said.
"People try their whole life to get to Kona," she said.
The event attracts athletes from all over the world. Participants must qualify for the race at Ironman series events or receive one of 150 lottery slots.
Cornell qualified by nabbing first place in her age group at the Buffalo Springs Lake 70.3, a half Ironman.
As the name might imply, the Ironman event is male-dominated; only 23 percent of the competitors at Kona are women, Cornell said.
"There were just unbelievable amounts of fit people, the cream of the crop," she said. "It was very intimidating. Everyone was ripped and cut."
It was a dare that prompted Cornell to compete in her first triathlon three years ago.
"A guy who took my spinning class told me, 'I think you should do it,'" she said.
As first, Cornell declined, but finally agreed to the challenge. With the help of coach Kerry Mowlam, the instigator of the dare, the 39-year-old personal trainer and mother of two has competed in triathlons around the country.
What started as a goal to get fit after her daughter was born turned into getting her personal trainer's certification, teaching spinning at Lifetime Fitness in Parker and becoming a triathlete.
"I wanted something that was for me, not just being a mom," she said. "I also wanted to set an example of being healthy for my kids."
While most are still snug in their beds, Cornell is up at 4:30 a.m. to train, running, biking or swimming, with the occasional hot yoga session thrown in. She tries to schedule her training so she still has plenty of time to spend with her kids: Lucy, 6, and Alex, 7.
Cornell is a member of the Parker Triathlon Club as well as a triathlete coach. She said she has seen the popularity of triathlons continue to grow. She has even begun to coach her husband, Watson Cornell, in the sport.
"It's a sport that's so individual, and that you can do on your own," she said. "It's really an amazing journey."
In November, Cornell will be traveling to Arizona to compete, with the hopes of qualifying for the 2010 Kona Ironman.
"I'm bound and determined to requalify," she said. "My goal is to get in the top 10 in my age group (at Kona). I just know I have it in me."
Erin Feese: 303-954-2953 or feesee@yourhub.com