A determined Select Car Leasing consultant is set to tackle one of the world’s toughest endurance competitions.
American events firm World Triathlon Corporation organises a series of ‘Ironman’ triathlons across the world.
The contests see competitors swim for 2.4 miles, bike for 112 miles and then run a marathon distance of 26.2 miles, one after the other.
The hardy souls who enter must also cross the finish line in under 17 hours.
And Neil Pilarz (below), a Leasing Consultant at the Wales office of Select, will put his body through its paces in the ‘Ironman Wales’ event, which is considered one of the most gruelling of all the Ironman challenges, thanks to the mountainous terrain that participants must traverse.
During the bike and the run, Neil will have to ascend and descend an altitude difference of 9,678 ft - the equivalent of a trip up and down Britain’s highest mountain Ben Nevis… and then some.
Neil, a father-of-one, says he hopes years spent in the saddle as a passionate mountain biker will give him the core level of fitness he needs to succeed.
But the 45-year-old admits he’d never even ridden a road bike until late last year!
Neil, a Commercial vehicles specialist, adds: “They say Ironman Wales is one of the toughest Ironman events, full stop, purely because it’s so hilly. So, if I’m being honest, it’s quite daunting.
“I’ve always been a keen mountain biker, particularly on the downhill trails at the local BikePark Wales facility.
“Then, two years ago, I started running and fell in love with it. I’ve done a couple of half marathons so far, but no big events. And up until recently, I’d never ridden a road bike - because I don’t like riding on roads!
“I also always thought I was a reasonable swimmer, only to discover in the last couple of weeks that I’m really not.
“So, I’ll need to do a lot of training and a lot of practice to get up to speed.
“But despite the challenges ahead of me, I can’t say I’ve bitten off more than I can chew, because I believe I can do it.”
Ironman Wales will take place in September this year in Tenby, Pembrokeshire, and the surrounding area.
Neil is still deciding whether or not he’ll complete the feat for charity. If he does, he’ll be raising funds for a mental health charity, having recently lost a good friend to suicide.
Neil adds: “I’m not going for any particular time, I just want to cross that finish line. A ‘DNF’ - or ‘Did Not Finish’ - isn’t an option.”
Select Car Leasing Wales is local to Cardiff, Bridgend and the surrounding Welsh areas, and the team there aim to take the ‘confusion’ away from the leasing process, particularly for clients who might be ‘overwhelmed’ by the sheer number of lease vehicles available.
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