TJ Hendy wins Nutri-Grain ironman 20 years after legendary’ father Trevor’s last pro win
OPENING round became retro round at the Nutri-Grain ironman with TJ Hendy racing to his first ever ironman victory two decades after his legendary father Trevor raced to his last.
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OPENING round became retro round at the Nutri-Grain ironman with TJ Hendy racing to his first ever ironman victory two decades after his legendary father Trevor raced to his last.
It was a victory which left his proud father emotional and TJ — short for Trevor Junior — rethinking his goals for the season after achieving his major aim in the first race of the six-leg professional series.
A late starter in the sport his father, now 48, ruled in the 1980s and 1990s, Hendy, 22, said he has long felt the weight of expectation on his shoulders.
“People saying ‘you will never be as good as him’, not to me, but it got around,” said Hendy, who lead for the majority of the board, swim, ski race he won from Kendrick Louis and Ali Day at Queenscliff.
The 22-year-old, who now trains alongside multiple Coolangatta Gold winner Day, said once he decided to be his own man, success has followed.
“Dad has alway been a huge role model,” said Hendy, who rates winning the Australian board rescue title two years ago with his famous father as the highlight of his sporting career.
“I’ve always tried to impress him and I think once I let go of that need to impress a couple of people that’s when I finally won one.”
Hendy senior said he was “beyond proud” of his son who only started to take ironman racing seriously when 17.
“He has just put so much into this after starting so late,” said Hendy, who won his last professional ironman title in 1997 when his son was just two-years-old.
“This shows he can believe in himself.”
Hendy dominated the shortcourse Nutri-Grain ironman race at Queenscliff, vying for the lead in the opening leg and then never headed after the swim.
Hendy contested the series for the first time last season.
He now heads the scoreboard ahead of the second leg of the series at Coolum on November 19.
The third round of the series will be back in NSW at North Wollongong on December 17.
It was a day for breakthrough wins with schoolgirl Jemma Smith leading home a NSW sweep of the ironwoman podium at Queenscliff.