Romero’s iron will to succeed after reaching brake point

 
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Had the script gone to plan then Rebecca Romero would have been resting up now after a successful summer cycling alongside Britain’s Olympians either on the track or on the road.

Instead, the 32-year-old is preparing to travel to Kona, in Hawaii, for the Ironman World Championships on Saturday, which includes a 2.4mile swim, a 112m bike ride and a full 26.2m marathon to finish.

It is a major reinvention for Romero but she is no stranger to going off script. In her first sporting life, she was a rower and won silver in the quadruple sculls at the 2004 Games before quitting because of back problems and re-emerging as a champion cyclist, winning individual pursuit gold in Beijing.

This latest sculpting has almost been forced upon her after trying to make the Olympics in various cycling formats before having to concede defeat.

Romero says: “By walking away I was missing out on my overall goal which was to get to London. At the last Olympics I competed in two events — the individual pursuit and the points race, both of which got cut for London.”

So, she targeted the time trial on the road but her hopes were curtailed when the qualifying criteria meant she also had to be part of the road race. Romero admits turning away was tough, saying: “It wasn’t like I’d retired.”

Despite that, she found watching her former colleagues easier to bear come Games time than expected.

Having been through endless arduous rowing and cycling sessions before taking up the Ironman, it is fair to say Romero has an addiction for pain and suffering. She knows what’s in store, having competed at the UK Championships this summer and qualified for the Worlds in the process.

“I remember struggling in the last 10 miles and thinking that if I get through this I will never do it again,” she says. “I just wanted the agony to die down. But you go through the pain in training as you know it means you’ll get better.”

Of the challenge ahead, she adds: “Most people are afraid to fail so they won’t put themselves in these positions. This started with me at the bottom of a mountain and making gradual steps. I want to be in a position both in training and in the race where I know I can do no more.”

Whatever happens, Romero insists that Ironman competitions are not her long-term goal but, such is her sporting determination, you can never be sure. Instead, her focus is on finishing an MSc in exercise and nutrition science, as well as starting up a consultancy business.

As for the next sporting goal, she is not sure. Work, a possible family and what she loosely calls “hobbies and time to do other things” are next on the agenda. But first, the rigours of Kona await.

Rebecca Romero is an ambassador for Science in Sport, leaders in sports nutrition and creators of the world’s first nitrate gel. Go to: www.scienceinsport.co.uk

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