When it comes to triathlons there is no bigger stage than the Ironman World Championships. 

Taking place in either Kona, Hawaii, or Nice, France, the competition features some of the fittest athletes in the world and challenges them to complete a total of 140.6 miles in various disciplines.

Among this year’s field at the Ironman World Championships in Kona was longtime triathlete and Summit County resident Michelle Lyman. After spending decades trying to qualify for the prestigious event, Lyman finally got her chance to shine at the mecca of the triathlete world at the age of 52.

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Wanting to prove to herself and her young daughter that anything is possible no matter your age, Lyman took off from the starting line on Saturday, Oct. 11.

Although Lyman entered the race knowing it likely wouldn’t be her best time due to the challenging course and humid conditions, she remained hopeful she could push past her body’s limits and deliver a strong showing.

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However, as Lyman navigated the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2 mile run, she soon realized that the Ironman World Championships are unlike any triathlon she has ever competed in. 

“I didn’t exactly know what to expect,” Lyman said. “The distance is the same as other races I have done, but I didn’t realize this race was going to be so lonely. It is real isolating.”

One of the main reasons why the course in Kona can feel isolating to athletes is because, for the last five years, the World Championships have been split between Hawaii and France. This year, the men traveled to France for the men’s event while the women took to Hawaii. While previous years would feature a total of 3,200 competitors, the split competition format divides participation in half.

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“It really kind of spreads you out,” Lyman said, “and then you are dealing with stuff that people from Summit County don’t deal with, like the heat, humidity, the crosswinds.”

In hopes of staying on top of any potential injuries or problems in the race, Ironman also starts competitors in waves every 10 minutes. The method allows race officials to keep competitors safe, but it also makes it easier for the race field to spread out more quickly. 

From the beginning of the race, Lyman was tested mentally. Not only was the experienced triathlete forced to tread water among the rest of her wave for close to 10 minutes before the start, but once the 2.4-mile swim began, Lyman encountered more athlete interference than she is accustomed to. 

“The first five minutes get kind of crowded because you are jockeying for a position,” Lyman said. “But you have the whole ocean to yourself. This woman was all over me. I was wondering why this woman was touching me. You have the whole ocean.”

As she battled through choppy waves, Lyman decided to nudge her fellow competitor out of the way and continued to take on the opening leg of the race. A few minutes later, Lyman had her first scare of the race as she stared down at the ocean floor below. Instead of seeing more tropical fish, Lyman noticed a large animal moving underneath her. 

Initially, Lyman thought the gray shape was a shark, causing the competitor to instantaneously grow nervous. However, as Lyman continued to swim, she spotted several more swimming by and soon recognized them as dolphins. 

“I have never seen that before, and I felt like it was kind of a good luck charm,” Lyman said. 

Lyman exited the water in a time of 1 hour, 33 minutes and 29 seconds and swiftly began working to transition onto the bike. 

Lyman took 8:38 to ditch her bathing suit for her tri suit and bike shoes before leaving the transition area for the bike portion of the race. As Lyman quickly pedaled toward the Hawaiian highway that makes up the majority of the biking portion, she got the opportunity to see her family. 

The moment allowed Lyman to be filled with energy before facing isolation the likes of which she has never quite experienced in a race before. 

“You are out on a lone highway, and it was definitely hot at points,” Lyman said. “That whole highway is closed so you are not even looking at cars, there is not anybody. There are aid stations that are few and far between, lava fields and the coast is like far away. So it is pretty bizarre. You really feel like you are on Mars.”

Now in the heat of the day, Lyman fought through the humid conditions on the bike. Lyman only got some relief from the temperatures and isolation when she rode through Hawi, which featured cooler temperatures as well as a crowd of enthusiastic spectators. 

With the bike course featuring rolling hills the vast majority of the 112 miles, Lyman felt like the bike portion did not lend to any of her strengths. Despite the course not being suited to her ability to descend, Lyman continued to race within her limits, fuel wisely and find ways to motivate herself with no crowd or competitors in sight. 

Lyman finished the biking leg in 6:56:39 before spending 12:36 in the final transition area. 

“I put my head down, and I was really good on nutrition,” Lyman said. “I got through the bike unscathed. … Some races lend better to my strengths, and this year I felt really strong about breaking six hours on the bike. But then you get out there and there is a crosswind.”

Similar to the first transition, Lyman got another spurt of energy when she was able to see her family as well as a race volunteer from Breckenridge. 

“I was so excited to see her,” Lyman said. “It was just a familiar face. Another runner in town from Breck. She was my personal volunteer in the transition.”

With a marathon between her and the illustrious Ironman World Championship finish line, Lyman put one foot in front of the other and tried to stay motivated. Soon after she began the running leg, the sun set, plunging the runner into darkness and setting the scene for some of the darkest miles in Lyman’s triathlon career. 

“It is like pitch black out,” Lyman said. “The only other person is running the opposite way.”

A little over halfway into the marathon, Lyman saw an unexpected sight — her daughter and partner positioned under a lone streetlight. The moment allowed Lyman to receive a final morale boost, putting a pep into her step as she returned to the dark highway. 

With a glow stick illuminating the athlete, Lyman fought past her internal demons and tried to push for a sub 15-hour finish. Lyman eventually made the final turn to the finish area, using her last bit of willpower to find another gear.

Lyman broke across the finish line in a time of 14:58:58, completing the marathon in a time of 6:07:36. When Lyman ran across the finish line she could not help but be overcome with emotion, pride and happiness.

“It all finally came to a head at the finish line,” Lyman said. “Especially the next day, I kept saying that mommy just did this. We did this as a unit, like all of us. My partner, my daughter, you guys helped me get here. You drove me to get to the finish line. … This is it. Mommies can do this.” 

Unbeknownst to Lyman at the time, the hot and humid conditions throughout the day led to 60 athletes not being able to finish the race, including 10 of the 54 professional women. The gutsy and brave performance extended well beyond Lyman into a display to her daughter that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.

“There was too much to prove to show my daughter that you could still do it at any age,” Lyman said of her will to stay in the race. “I was just like, ‘This is it.’ This is what I have trained my whole life for, and here I am. Now I just have to prove to everyone, myself and my daughter that no matter what, you get across the line.”

Once Lyman was able to recuperate she soaked in the final moments of her trip to Hawaii which included being awarded her finisher medal and enjoying an awards dinner. With the Ironman World Championships checked off her bucket list, Lyman is not sure if she will ever compete in another full Ironman, but has proudly resumed training and is working toward whatever may be next.

“While I was running I thought that this might be the last one,” Lyman said. “I have nothing else to prove. Now, I don’t know. … We will see what happens.”