In regards to the sport of triathlon and duathlon, 2001 was a huge year for Angus Kim. He finished his first triathlon, marathon, and Ironman. Seeking to improve upon that first-time experience, his is still going strong today. A former rugby player (University of Toronto, Canada’s Under 19 Team), in 2000 he watched his friends compete at Ironman USA Lake Placid, and was immediately bitten by the triathlon bug, signing up for the race the next day, never having done a triathlon before.
He spent the following year learning how to swim, using the proper gearing while biking, and increasing his run distance. He lost over fifty pounds in the process. “Due to all the training, I got in much better shape, said Angus, “Being a non swimmer I was worried about the Ironman swim but I got it up to a decent level that would allow me to finish.
His virgin Ironman experience was a memorable one to say the least. After successfully completing the swim portion, he confidently mounted his bike only to experience the unexpected. “I remember waking up in a ditch, Angus admitted, “I guess I fell asleep on the bike during the second lap. I wasn’t injured so I dusted myself off, got back on my bike and just kept on going.
He would go on to finish his first Ironman at Lake Placid, winning the Inspiration Award (awarded to the final finisher), and winning a year’s supply of Saucony shoes. If that was not enough, he celebrated a few days later by attempting to eat ten Big Macs in one sitting. He was not successful. Since then, Angus has finished another eight Ironman races (singles at Ironman Arizona, Canada, and Korea, along with five more at Lake Placid).
An HSBC Triathlon Series regular, he proved how much he loves racing in the series this past year. Thanks to his understanding wife to be, Angus raced in the Cobourg International Duathlon just hours before the getting married. Much to the shock of many of those assembled at the post-race awards ceremony (he placed third in his age group). And if you are wondering, yes, he did manage to get home to clean himself up, and make it on time for his nuptials.
I’ve come to know Angus over the past nine years and I can tell you that he is a top-notch dude. He is that typical gentle giant. Tough as nails, would give you the shirt off of his back, and has a heart of gold. Just show him a video clip of Dick Hoyt speaking about his son Rick and you will know what I mean (you can ask him to explain why). This season you can see Angus at Ironman Lake Placid and the many HSBC Triathlon and Duathlon series races this season as he pursues yet another top 3 finish in the Clydesdale standings.