Australian Rugby 7’s representative Ben Peterson takes on Ironman Melbourne

MELBOURNE (Tuesday, 17 March 2015) In the past when the pressure was on Australian Rugby 7’s representative Ben Peterson looked to his teammates for motivation and strength.

When he hits a rough patch at the IRONMAN ® Asia-Pacific Championship in Melbourne on Sunday that strength will have to come from within.

Peterson was a member of the Aussie 7’s rugby team from 2000 to 2003. He played in the World Sevens Series, which is played in 12 Countries.

“I played Rugby for the Manly Rugby Club, and I also represented Australia at U/19 and U/21 level. I was a part of the Australian Rugby Institute with the AIS, and the NSW Waratah Rugby Academy, and I also toured with the Australian Barbarians team twice. After fracturing my ankle twice, I moved back home to

Newcastle in 2004 where I continued playing in the local competition until 2008,” he said.

The 35-year-old from Sydney decided to give triathlon a go in 2009 after a life-long interest in the sport, which like so many Australian age groupers and pros, had its origins in Channel 9’s Wide World Sports coverage of the IRONMAN World Championships in the late 1980s.

“I had been missing the competition of sport, and with my competitive nature kicking back in, I was hooked straight away and have pretty much raced every distance I have had the opportunity to since,” he says.

As you would expect for an athlete built for a contact sport the run leg has proved the most difficult for him to master.

“My body composition is more fast twitch than would be ideal for triathlon, so it’s taken a few years for me to develop a bigger aerobic base and improve my endurance. This season I have managed to drop 12kg prior to beginning my prep for Melbourne,” he says.

Apart from the healthy lifestyle triathlon promotes, Peterson loves travelling to races with his wife Hayley and three daughters.

“It creates a great, active environment for the kids to grow up in and they are able to get involved in races of their own at a lot of events and Tri festivals around the country and in our club races at Maitland Triathlon Club,” he says.

On race day he’s looking forward to the fast smooth surface of Eastlink on the bike course and the point to point marathon from Frankston to St Kilda.

“Anything under 11 will be a PB and I will be more than happy,” he says.

Peterson is among more than 2500 participants from 45 countries coming to Melbourne for the IRONMAN Asia-Pacific Championship on Sunday 22 March, comprising a 3.8km swim in Franston,180km two-lap bike on the Eastlink back to Frankston and 42.2kmmarathon run to the finish at St Kilda.