fullCIRCLE

BY HOLLY BENNETT photographs by Scott Draper

Triathlon is widely considered an individual sport. But Kathleen McCartney and Julie Moss, the champion and runner-up at the February 1982 edition of the Ironman World Championship, have been inexorably linked since fate rst drew them to the lava elds.

ulie Moss is credited with putting Ironman on the map during her virgin run at the distance. Thats endurance-sports-speak for spectacularly bonking, soiling ones britches and being reduced to a baby giraffe style walk in front of a worldwide television audience, thus highlighting the races grueling swim, bike and run requirements. No one was more surprised than Moss herselfa 23-year-old undergraduate student participating in Kona in order to complete her thesisthat she led the womens race right up until her well-documented meltdown. And as she hit the wall within yards of the nish, it was Kathleen McCartney, a rst-year triathlete tagged early on as a Kona favorite, who cruised past in the dark, unaware of her crumpled competitor and equally astonished to claim the Ironman win. On Oct. 13, 2012, 30 years after their history-making debut on the Big Island, Moss and McCartney will again stand on the start line in Kona. In 1982 they were strangers and oddly matched rivals; now they are close friends and training partners. Triathletes Holly Bennett sat down with these inspirational women to reect on their 1982 race, hear how their fated friendship eventually formed and learn how theyre approaching Kona 2012.

TRIATHLETE: Do you remember what you said to each

other after the 1982 race? KATHLEEN: I dont remember seeing Julie after the race. I was swept away. I think Julie was rushed to the medical tent. It wasnt until I actually watched it on Wide World of Sports that I fully comprehended what happened. JULIE: We didnt cross paths until the awards ceremony. Word had gotten out that something had happenedthere was no live coverage back then. I

the womens race, Ill put it that way! JULIE: Kathleens name is on the trophy, and I think thats a pretty fair trade. Thats an exclusive club to be in. You cant get invited inyou have to earn it. But I have empathized with the fact that she had this amazing accomplishment, yet she also had this other part to deal with. There are times Ive looked back and thought, That was as close as I ever got to winning that race, and it didnt happen. So maybe theres a tinge of disappointment. But it was Kathleens game. I also thought, She got it. Thats got to feel good.
TRIATHLETE: Kathleen, if you had been aware of what

LESSONS FROM 1982

remember when we were up on stage, there was this energy in the room when they called my name. It was kind of crazy. It was undue applause for second place, when rst place had yet to come up.
TRIATHLETE: Julie, have you ever felt guilty for getting

was happening and had seen Julie, do you think you might have stopped? KATHLEEN: I have often asked myself, What would I have done had I seen her? My heart tells me that I would have stopped and made sure she was OK. But on the other hand, there were plenty of people there to take care of her. And it was Ironman. Quite honestly, I would have bolted for that nish line! And then I would have come back ve seconds later to check on her. JULIE: I think theres a natural instinct to win. I love that I can go back and watch our race, and I can see Kathleens unbridled joy and excitement. That was something that got lost. Its pretty cool to see you have your moment. I think it played out the way it was supposed to.
TRIATHLETE: From that moment, you were bonded

so much attention for the race, despite not winning? Not to mention, who won the mens race that year? JULIE: It was Scott Tinley! KATHLEEN: They denitely dont remember who won
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together. Neither of your race days would have been quite as spectacular without the dynamic of the other. Yet it took some time for you to become friends. When did your relationship develop?

Never give up on yourself. I was bereft of any ideas and motivation as to how to get up off the ground when my legs wouldnt work. I gave this big sigh, thinking, Can I really give up? In that moment, the resounding word in my head and in my heart was, No! Find a way. No! So I gured out how to do the baby giraffe. It was humiliating. It wasnt how I pictured nishing the race. But I nished.
- Julie Moss

CAROL HOGAN

JULIE: It started this year. And it was immediate. Our

life circumstances have brought us together in a way that is very close. In 2003 we both also went back for the 25th anniversary celebration of the race, and there was a feeling then that it was sort of waiting for us, but it didnt really happen until the plan for this years race came about. KATHLEEN: I remember being excited when I heard that Julie was moving back to San Diego [where both women now live]. I thought, Wow, this will nally be the time in our lives that we can really get to know each other. When we got together I felt an instant bond. I thought about going back and doing the race this year and I immediately thought, I hope Julie will be there, because that will bring it full circle. She trained with me on my kicko day. She was still not committed to racing at that point, but it was a special day. JULIE: Kathleen had the greatest idea to start her program. We swam, biked and ran the same number of minutes as miles in an Ironman. That was about all I could manage! KATHLEEN: It was the most training Id done in all three sports since 2003! Of course now weve gotten further down the road and were both feeling t and strong. And so many people are helping make this journey easier for us. Weve received phenomenal support from the triathlon community. We have Cannondale, K-Swiss, Tyr, Nytro, TriBike Transport and others sponsoring us. Were both single moms trying to stretch a dollar here and there. We were riding our old bikes from 2003. We were wearing vintage cycling stu. So its been really exciting to get our rst tri bikes and technological equipment. JULIE: Were in the modern era now!
TRIATHLETE: Its a bit of a clich, yet its true: Once

yourself is empowering. My sons in college, my nest is empty and I could easily focus on what isnt there, but instead Im focusing on this new commitment. KATHLEEN: Also for me, there was a tough period in my life recently, undergoing a tragic divorce. I needed a personal goal, and Ironman was my source. It was my strength. I made the commitment to this years race shortly after learning that my world was turning upside down, because I knew I needed to dig deep. I needed a goal that would bring out all the qualities that I rely on to get through tough times. JULIE: I wanted to support Kathleen in her personal situation through supporting this goal. What really surprised me is that once I embraced doing the race also, all the benets of stepping o into that strength were there for me too. I didnt know that was going to be waiting for me. I committed to be a buddy, but once I took it on, it became my personal journey.
TRIATHLETE: Are you putting pressure on yourselves to

youve done an Ironman, you feel as though you can do anything, handle any adversity. In the 30 years since your rst race in Kona, how has Ironman empowered each of you to handle lifes curveballs? KATHLEEN: That day changed my life. It changed who I am forever in a good way. I feel like nothing is too hard. I can never be too tired. I would never say no to a challenge. And Ive passed that onto my kids. Its a way of life and a source of strength. I have taken pride that even in years where I wasnt Ironman t, when I hadnt been on my bike in a decade, Ive felt that if someone told me that I had to go do an Ironman tomorrow and nish in 17 hours, I could do it. Its part of who I am, part of my character. JULIE: I feel the same way, although I was a little too young at 23 to appreciate the idea that the ceiling or the limits had been uncapped. I felt like anything was possible at 23 anywayotherwise I wouldnt have taken part in that race! But it set the bar pretty high. In the past 10 years though, Ive had moments where I forgot that I had that to go to. I felt like I was becoming the victim rather than the heroine of my own life. I did a lot of hard personal work to get through that, and now Im ready to embrace this physical challenge again. Its a jumping-o point. The idea that every day youre challenging
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achieve certain goals? How do you feel youll benet from your age and experience going into the race? KATHLEEN: This is all about the Ironman experience. Im training very hard and Im going to race as hard as I can, but theres no pressure. Im not going to win. But Id like to beat you, Julie! [Laughing] JULIE: I dont feel pressure, but I dont want to underestimate this experience. I need to keep open to the fact that I might actually get in pretty good shape! KATHLEEN: I dont feel 53. I feel like Im still 22! And the number of times weve experienced Kona collectivelythis will be 12 for Julie and eight for mein all types of conditions, I think will help. And theres such a factor of joy, knowing that I have the ability to show up at the starting line, appreciating the moment and the opportunity to race. Its going to be an incredible experience. It is at any age, but particularly now. JULIE: Im afraid that gets lost for a lot of people who chase this dream. Its their dreamtheyve qualied, theyre nally in Konayet the energy isnt as joyful as one might hope. Theres an anxiousness, almost an undercurrent of fear about what might happen. Thats not something I plan on packing in my bag. I do think the experience of managing those valleys that you get into in a long race is invaluable. The body is one element, but its equally body, mind and spirit. Staying positive goes into the spiritual realm. Being smart about managing yourself throughout the day is intellectual. And the bodys well-trained by the time you get there. Ironically, the time we set 30 years agothe overall winning time from 1982would not win our 5054 age group now! Thats such a proud statement for how far the race has come. And it means theres no pressure on us!

I made the commitment to this years race shortly after learning that my world was turning upside down, because I knew I needed to dig deep. I needed a goal that would bring out all the qualities that I rely on to get through tough times.
- Kathleen McCartney