Panther triers ready to push limits to the max

A GROUP of 15 Panthers Tri Club members will compete in this weekend's Ironman Melbourne event.

A GROUP of 15 Panthers Tri Club members will compete in this weekend's Ironman Melbourne event.

Club spokeswoman Barbara Hughes said the group had been training hard for the ironman, which comprises a 3.8km swim, 180km bike and 42.2km run.

"They have been registering up to 400km a week of training in the pool and on land," she said.

"Each competitor has their own goals. For some it is their first ironman event, others wish to qualify for the pinnacle of all ironman events in Kailua Kona, Hawaii. For others it is to beat their previous ironman times."

Despite the hours of training, Hughes said the friendships formed in training groups were fantastic.

"You could be spending close to 20-plus training hours (with friends) and they become part of your extended family," she said.

"Whilst meeting your training objectives is important, it wouldn't be any fun if you didn't have moments that were completely and utterly hilarious that only you and your training buddies shared in."

PTC CONTINGENT

Sarah Stoneham, Liz Stretton, Kristen Brace, Kate Dukes, Darryl Owen, Paul Robins, Michael Schembri, Steve Fryirs, Jake Mcloon, Andrew Reece, Matt Crowley, Andrew Edwards, James Matthews, Peter Zaccazan