Welcome to Part 2 of our 3rd annual Babbittville Countdown to Kona! 

 

This year we are featuring 50 of our favorite Ironman sound bites from our Babbittville interviews. 

Follow along on our countdown each day on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter! 

 

Catch up with Part 1 of the Countdown to Kona 2017 here

 

Part 2 of the Kona Countdown: 

 

40

We’re calling today’s #KonaCountdown “Making Lemonade.”
Dave Scott won 6 Ironman World Championships in his hall of fame career, but in 1980 at the third-ever Ironman Triathlon on Oahu, his crew had to figure out what to do with his faulty bike shoe. Duct tape to the rescue, and the rest is history. Listen to the interview with Dave here.

39

Today’s #KonaCountdown: In 1997, on his third try, Australian John Maclean became the first handcycle division athlete to officially complete the Ironman World Championship, when he went 12:21:30. For John’s Iron-journey, it all started with the impactful words from his father: How Far Can You Go?

Listen to the interview with John here.

38

Today’s #KonaCountdown is a simple message, yet powerful, and one that has a meaningful backstory. Michelle Vesterby and her motto: Keep Smiling!
Listen to our interview to learn more about Michelle’s brother Mark and their special bond here.

37

Today’s #KonaCountdown features the 2006 Ironman World Champion, and Olympic silver medalist, Michellie Jones. In her hall of fame career, Michellie raced and won all forms of triathlons, and understands the unique draw of the Ironman. It doesn’t matter who you are, everyone shares the same goal: To Get to the Finish Line.
Listen to the interview with Michellie here.

36

Today’s #KonaCountdown goes out to everyone battling their rivals. Todd Jacobs finished 8th at Kona in 87 and 88 and raced against the Big Four: Mark Allen, Dave Scott, Scott Tinley, and Scott Molina. Todd now coaches, and shared words of advice for training with and racing against your adversaries.
Listen to the interview with Todd here.

35

Today’s #KonaCountdown features who else, but the incredible Daniela Ryf. Daniela had a huge win today at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, her 5th Ironman world title. Her first Kona win? Felt like a dream.

Listen to the interview with Daniela here.

34

Today’s #KonaCountdown features the multi-talented Tim Don. Tim placed 3rd at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships, is a three-time Olympian, has gone 28:56 for the 10K, and won Ironman Brazil this year in a record time of 7:40:23. We chatted in 2015 before Tim’s debut at the Ironman World Championship in Kona and he shared his race strategy for the day…
Listen to the interview with Tim here.

33

Today’s #KonaCountdown is in two parts. Here is Part 1, from last year’s countdown: Tim DeBoom’s Memorable Win in 2001
The race was special. Being the first international sporting event after the tragedy of 9/11, the 2001 Ironman World Championship felt different. The athletes weren’t even sure that the event would take place that year and most had a difficult time getting back to something as trivial as swimming, biking, and running after the attacks.
But when October rolled around, there they were and the race was full steam ahead. America’s Tim DeBoom had lost the year before to his former training partner, Canadian Peter Reid, by a mere 2:09. “I remember thinking at the finish,” remembers DeBoom. “I lost the Ironman by two lousy minutes. I knew that every time I went out for a ride, run, or swim during the next 12 months that two minutes would both haunt me and push me. Two minutes? You’ve got to be kidding!”
DeBoom was a man on a mission. As he ran through the final miles of the marathon in first place, fittingly the first American male to win the Ironman since Mark Allen in 1995, the fans weren’t cheering ‘Go Tim!’ “They were cheering ‘Go USA, Go USA!’” says DeBoom. “It gave me goosebumps.”

Today’s #KonaCountdown looks back on a memorable Ironman in 2001, and American Tim DeBoom’s emotional win. Tim was the first American male to win since Mark Allen in 1995, at the first international sporting event held after September 11.
Listen to the interview with Tim here.

32

Today’s #KonaCountdown features Frederik Van Lierde. In 2013, Frederik became the second person ever from Belgium to win the most important race in our sport at the Ironman World Championship, after Luc Van Lierde won in 1996 and 1999. Frederik’s life changed after that day, no matter where he was in the world….
Listen to the interview with Frederik here.

31

Today’s #KonaCountdown features one of the many epic battles between the two greats, Mark Allen and Dave Scott, which helped build the foundation for the historic IronWar race in 1989. Mark Allen would eventually master all his demons on the Big Island and win the Ironman World Championship 6 times, but his journey there was littered with disappointment, defeat, and his nemesis: Dave Scott. In 1984, Mark built a 12 minute lead after the bike, and thought he had the race won. The Ironman had other ideas, and proved once again that no lead is ever safe. Even if you are Mark Allen.
Listen to the interview with Mark here.