\u201cThe competition I\u2019m facing in Hawaii have contracts and support in place to get every bolt on their bike and seam in their race kit dialled in perfectly.<\/p>
\u201cBut when I think about somebody like me, it\u2019s as relatable to an age-grouper as it gets, and it makes me emotional to think that it could be my day if everything goes according to plan.\u201d<\/p>
Moriarty, whose mother hails from Cork and father from Kerry, works in web content for a tech company in Portland on the US west coast, and has prepared for her Ironman World Championship<\/a><\/strong> debut by swimming in a basement pool with no windows.<\/p> Readying herself to face the likes of five-time champion Daniela Ryf<\/a><\/strong> and four-time runner-up Lucy Charles-Barclay<\/strong><\/a> on Saturday in Hawaii, the 35-year-old typifies the underdog spirit.<\/p> She is also under no illusions about the size of the task ahead. Having only raced Ironman professionally for the first time in 2020 \u2013 finishing fifth in Florida \u2013 and qualifying through a roll down spot in Ironman Vitoria-Gasteiz in July, Moriarty is comfortable with her status as a relative unknown among the 50-plus women\u2019s pro field, but also acknowledges that she has improved markedly since lining up in Spain.<\/p> \u201cI\u2019m a different athlete than I was a few months ago and I\u2019m really excited to see what I can do,\u201d she adds, explaining that the confidence stems from being given an extended sabbatical from her role at software company Salesforce, allowing her to give triathlon sole focus this summer.<\/p> \u201cIt was really forgiving of my firm and the first time I\u2019ve been able to put a block of training together without having to be on 10 Zoom calls a day,\u201d she says.<\/p> \u201cOnce I got my Kona slot, I had to go back to my job and say: \u2018I appreciate you\u2019ve already given me a chunk of time off, but I\u2019m going to need some more!\u2019<\/p> \u201cHaving seen the other side of it, the idea of going back to work and then trying to get ready for a world championship race was giving me a panic attack.\u201d<\/p> An \u201cinjured and burnt out\u201d runner leaving college, Moriarty originally cross-trained on the bike to regain fitness before deciding she preferred cycling to running.<\/p> \u201cI then just got it in my brain that I could be good at triathlon.\u201d It\u2019s a world away from her passion growing up, Irish dancing \u2013 an activity she stuck with for 20 years.<\/p> \u201cEven when I was in college I was still practising, but I don\u2019t think I have the leg lift anymore,\u201d she admits, with the sequins now swapped for spandex, but two young nieces turning to the toe tapping instead.<\/p> \u201cI grew up spending all my summers in Ireland and my family is still there. I think of myself more Irish than American. My parents moved to Boston in the \u201870s.<\/p> \u201cDad is one of 11 children and mum’s one of four. My dancing dress is still in a protective case underneath my parents\u2019 bed and I\u2019m not going to wear it any time soon.\u201d<\/p> The family connections mean that when she came to Youghal to race Ironman Ireland last year she was given a rapturous reception, even if the race itself didn\u2019t go to plan.<\/p> \u201cIronman is a tricky beast and having swallowed too much salt water and thrown up from bike to run, it was a reminder that one thing going wrong can screw up your whole day,\u201d Moriarty adds.<\/p> The queasiness was at least offset by her family seeing her race for the first time. \u201cMy parents were there, and to see them\u2026 I was crying in my visor because it meant so much.<\/p> \u201cYoughal is insane, a delightful, magical course with the amount of spectator support, and I was one of the only professional Irish athletes there so had people screaming my name.\u201d<\/p> Following two deaths in the swim at this year\u2019s event in August, Ironman is now wrapped in a legal dispute over culpability with the national federation, Triathlon Ireland.<\/p> It could also see a premature end to the event, which, despite facing issues including inclement weather since it began in 2019 remains popular with participants and locals.<\/p> \u201cI\u2019d love to see that race continue because of the way people come out to support that race,\u201d Moriarty explains. <\/p> \u201cIt was like the Tour [de France] where people were five or six deep going up a hill which is one of the steepest I\u2019ve ever ridden.<\/p> \u201cThe crowd moves in and out around you like a living organism, and the feeling you get from that is second to none. It would be a real shame if they discontinued it.\u201d<\/p>Flying under the radar<\/strong><\/h2>
Swapping sequins for spandex<\/strong><\/h2>
The magic of spectators<\/strong><\/h2>
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