Local Mom Qualifies to Go to Ironman World Championship

IMG_4466 (1)A local woman, Pamela Naylor, qualified for the Ironman World Championship by coming in first in her age group (35-39) in the Coeur d’Alene Ironman this last weekend. Naylor said she was surprised to do so well.

“My whole goal going into this last weekend was just to finish…I just wanted to get to the finish line and be able to do it on my own two feet. I think being a mom I did not want to push the envelope– to worry about walking at the end,” she said referring to athletes who are so depleted that they stumble or even crawl across the finish line of the these grueling three part races.

Naylor said she never intended to start participating in Ironman contests. ‘It is just an insane distance for the three events and then to put them all together…,” her voice trailed off.

“I’ve been doing triathlons since 2007,” Naylor explained. But she had never before raced an Ironman which includes a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride and a full 26.2 mile marathon. “I told myself I would never do an Ironman… .”

But after getting married and having a baby, Naylor began wanting to try one. “It was like a bug in my ear,” she said. “Someday you should attempt this. You don’t want to look back and wish you would have tried when you could.”Pamela Naylor. with medals

Before the race, Naylor was worried that she wouldn’t finish it and the conditions were less than ideal. “This weekend’s race was tough,” Naylor said.  “It was 90 degrees, it was super windy…I’d never raced that distance before.” But Naylor came in the 6th woman overall and the first in her age group which qualified her for the Ironman world Championship. This is only six weeks away which doesn’t give her a lot of time to prepare. Nonetheless, Naylor said she is going to try because this kind of racing is her passion.

“To have the opportunity to train and still go after my passion and still retain the sense of who I was before I became a mom….,” Naylor pauses overwhelmed with her luck. “I’m motivated to be an example to my daughter…. Just because you are a mom and a wife and have a job, you can still work on your own dreams and goals. Because if you are happy, you are going to become a better mom and a wife.”

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14 Comments
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Newton
Guest
7 years ago

Congratulations!! I’m totally impressed, you are an inspiration to us all.

Eastside
Guest
Eastside
7 years ago

Congratulations and best of luck.

Bill Dance
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Bill Dance
7 years ago

Good job Mom!

Cat
Guest
Cat
7 years ago

Wow! Good for you for staying with your passion. Congratulations, and best of luck on your next one!

Tonie
Guest
Tonie
7 years ago

Congratulations!

Dan Fuller
Guest
Dan Fuller
7 years ago

Iron congrats for an Iron Person!!!!

G-ma
Guest
G-ma
7 years ago

Congratulations and good luck to you Pamela!!!

Zen
Guest
Zen
7 years ago

Awesome. Congrats and good luck. You should be proud!

Sparklemahn
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Sparklemahn
7 years ago

Good luck to you Pamela Naylor. We are in awe!

Jennifer
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Jennifer
7 years ago

Great job! You go mommy!

Gare
Guest
Gare
7 years ago

Awesome! A friend of mine, his wife did it! Took her 10 3/4 hours to do it. Good luck!

Sanjay Kajale
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Sanjay Kajale
7 years ago

Awasome and good job, Congrats,and all tge best ! I m proud of you, my son is Yongest IRON MAN 2016( port Macquarie AUS)

Neighbor
Guest
Neighbor
7 years ago

Break a leg!

I mean in a good way 🙂

Mike Dronkers
Guest
Mike Dronkers
7 years ago

Go PAM!

Such an inspiration.