A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about a young triathlete, Zoe Natasha Bowden, who took part in her first triathlon at the tender age of 8. She obviously started very young but it’s never too late to start. Yee Sze Mun took part in his first Ironman triathlon at the age of 58 and today is still going strong at 80.
The Ironman competition is one of the hardest endurance tests in the world where athletes have to compete in three disciplines: 3.8km swim, 180km bike ride and 42.2km run, all within 17 hours.
Last year, Yee competed in his 12th Ironman in Langkawi but failed to make it within the allotted time limit. This was a big blow to him as he had successfully done it 11 times before. Undeterred, Yee is pulling all the stops to get himself into the best shape possible for next year’s edition.
Yee talks to Savvy about why he started training so late in life and how he’s preparing for next year’s Ironman Langkawi, which he considers a make-or-break event for him.
You took part in your first Ironman competition at an age when most people are looking at retirement. Why wait for so long?
Up until the age of 48, I didn’t do any regular exercises. I was just pursuing my career and had become a couch potato. One day my doctor told me that my health was in terrible shape and I’d better start exercising or else I’d die in my 60s. So, I started exercising. That was the beginning of my journey into fitness. And then, 10 years later, at age 58, I did my first Ironman in Kona, Hawaii where I clocked in at 16 hours 27 minutes.
Exercising is one thing, doing an Ironman is quite another. What made you decide to compete in such a gruelling event?
The thought of doing an Ironman came to me after I saw some coverage of it on TV. I saw some world-class athletes competing but I also saw that some ordinary folks were doing it as well. And I thought to myself, if they can do it maybe I can do it too. Once I succeeded, I got hooked.
Did you engage a personal coach to get you ready?
No, there was no one to coach me at the time so I had to rely on myself. I just put in the time. I ran a lot, swam a lot and cycled a lot. I’m sure it would have been better to have had a coach but that option just wasn’t there back then.
With your wealth of experience now, have you ever thought of becoming a coach?
I give talks all the time and if anyone wants advice, I’m happy to share my knowledge and experience but I’m not a certified coach or anything like that. I’m no guru; I’m just someone with a lot of “battlefield” experience, that’s all.
You didn’t manage to complete Ironman Langkawi this year. What happened?
By the time I finished my swim and bike ride, I had already exceeded the time allotted for those two events so I was disqualified. I had gone into the competition unprepared, having just recovered from an injury. I was involved in an accident earlier in the year when a car knocked me down while I was cycling. The recovery took a long time and in the end, I had only 40 days to prepare for this event.
You plan to make a comeback next year. You’ll be 81 then. Why go through all this?
Life would have no meaning otherwise. The challenge of it keeps me young. I really can’t imagine sitting around all day watching TV. That kind of lifestyle isn’t for me anymore although I was a couch potato in my younger days.
Could you see yourself exercising without competing?
I guess it’s possible but if I’m exercising anyway, why not compete? If a day comes when a full-blown Ironman is too much for me, I’ll stick to Half-Ironman, which is half the distance but still involves a cut-off time. And if that becomes too much, I can still do Olympic distance triathlon which has no cut-off time. Whatever the case, I’ll still be competing.
Which competitions are you planning to go for next year?
The first one is a Half Ironman in Sri Lanka in February, followed by an Olympic distance triathlon in Port Dickson in April. After that, it’s another Half Ironman in Vietnam in May and a Half Ironman in Bintan Island (Indonesia) in August. I’ll end the year with Ironman Langkawi in November.
What do you do for training these days?
I train twice a day, usually one event in the morning and another in the evening. It can be any combination of events, such as a run and a swim or a run and a bike ride or a swim and a bike ride, etc. It just depends on how I feel at the time. There might be a more scientific way of training but I go with my instincts.
Are you doing any special training to give yourself an added boost for your comeback?
Yes, for the first time I’m collaborating with a group of physiotherapists who specialises in sports rehabilitation. I go there twice a week. This is my last chance to prove that I can still do it. I’m training hard, I’m getting physiotherapy. If after all this I’m not able to complete Ironman Langkawi, I might have to accept that age is finally catching up with me. If I fail, at least I would have known there was nothing more I could have done.
Do you maintain a special diet?
I guess I should have a strict diet but I pretty much eat whatever I want, in moderation of course. Look at it this way, I’m 80 years old. I sacrifice so much and train twice a day. You want me to restrict my food as well? I want to at least enjoy my food!
What advice would you give to someone who wants to do an Ironman?
Self-belief is crucial. Let me tell you a true story that illustrates this. At one Ironman event, a lady who was probably in her early 40s, a mother of two, came up to me and asked for some tips. She told me she had already tried to complete the Ironman twice but had failed both times. Having failed twice but yet coming back for another try told me she had determination. She had done the training. She was ready. All she needed was a little morale booster. So I told her, “You can do it. Believe in yourself. I’ll be at the finishing line waiting for you.” And sure enough, on her third try, she succeeded.