Breakfast with Bob from Kona 2018: Bob's Ten

As we reflect back on our amazing 2018 edition of Breakfast with Bob from Kona, and the 75 interviews we filmed during the week leading into the Ironman World Championship and on Sunday after the race, it’s hard to pick a favorite – they were all awesome chats with incredible athletes. There were a few interviews that stood out for me for a variety of reasons, which are spotlighted here for Bob’s Ten. Enjoy!

Which interviews stood out for you? I’d love to hear from you!

Watch all 75 interviews on the Babbittville YouTube channel here.

Pease Brothers

Brent and Kyle Pease are two brothers who would do anything for each other. Kyle was born with Cerebral palsy and Brent decided in 2011 that, like Dick and Rick Hoyt, they should race together. Their first Ironman was in September of 2013 at Ironman Wisconsin and this will be their first attempt to complete the Ironman World Championship. > Kyle and Brent completed the Ironman World Championship in 14:29!

Matt Russell

Matt Russell is lucky to be alive after a van pulled in front of him during the bike portion of last year’s Ironman. What did it take to get back on his bike and deal with traffic again? How happy is he just to be at the starting line again and how did coming back from his horrific accident change the way he looks at his sport and at life? > Matt had an awesome race, finishing in 6th place!

Michelle Vesterby

Michelle Vesterby is always smiling and always happy to be on the Big Island. After a fourth and sixth here, is she ready to make it onto the podium? > Michelle didn’t have the race she wanted in 2018, finishing in 9:27:56, but I know she will be back, and she will be smiling!

Thiago Vinhal

Thiago Vinhal finished thirteenth here last year and the young man from Brazil seemed to embrace the moment. He is solid across the board and after a third place at Ironman Brazil this year, he is ready for a move into the top ten. > Thiago had a solid swim (50:32) and run (2:59), but not the bike ride he wanted (4:56), for a 8:52:56 finish.

Kaisa Sali

Kaisa Sali decided to do her first Ironman when she was 12 years old. When she finished what she thought was a 180 kilometer bike route that her dad allowed her to do on his tiny pink mountain bike, and found that it was only 172 kilometers, she told her father in no uncertain terms that she needed to ride that final 8 kilometers to make it official. 22 years later she did her first Ironman and last October she battled through the marathon with Heather Jackson and Sarah Crowley and ended up fifth. > Kaisa had another Top Ten finish in Kona in 2018, finishing in 7th place.

Cam Wurf

Cam Wurf is a former pro cyclist who has gone all in on Ironman and, hoping to get it right, has raced 15 Iron distance events over the past few years and six this year alone. Last year he went 4:12 and set a new bike course record. This season has been all about getting his run time under 3:00 hours off the bike. This summer he ran a 1:18 half marathon off the bike to win a half and at Challenge Almere he ran 2:52 off the bike. He was first off the bike last year, but Lionel Sanders caught him fairly quickly and he ended up finishing 17th. The big question is not about his cycling. It’s about his ability to stay off the front long enough in the marathon to make it into the top ten. > Cam had a great race in 2018, setting a new bike course record (4:09:06), after a solid swim (50:51), and led for a good portion of the run, until being passed by Patrick Lange on the Queen K, and ended up on the stage with a 9th place finish.

Andrew Starykowicz

Andrew Starykowicz is a front pack swimmer and, along with Cam Wurf, on the short list for the best cyclist in the sport. He is coming back from a horrific accident where he was dragged under a truck, plus, while he was recovering, his baby son nearly died twice when he stopped breathing. Starky is here to go as hard as he can for as long as he can…period. > Andrew ended up swimming 49:34, riding 4:12:18, and running 3:44:48, finishing in 8:52:41

Sarah True

Sarah True is a two-time Olympian who ran a 2:54 marathon on her way to a second place finish behind Daniela Ryf in her first-ever Ironman at Ironman Frankfurt. She won’t be intimidated by the moment at her first-ever Ironman World Championship, her second Ironman. > In her debut in Kona, Sarah finished in 4th place, and as the top American. Watch our post-race Championship Edition interview with Sarah here.

Natascha Badmann

The 6-time Ironman World Champion makes her first appearance on Breakfast with Bob to go through her unbelievable career.

Tim Don

Tim Don went 7:40:23 at Ironman Brazil in May of 2017, which was the fastest Ironman time ever up until that point. The three-time Olympian was ready for a great day here a year ago when he was hit by a car a few days before the race and ended up breaking his neck and lived in a halo for the next four months. The fact that he made it back to Kona is a miracle in itself. But can he be a factor on Saturday? > In his return to Kona, Tim ended up swimming 50:34, riding 4:19:11, and running 3:29:55, for a 8:45:17 finish.