Lisa Breakwell – Single mum of four with single minded determination at Ironman Australia

Lisa Breakwell was 30 when she became a single mum with four children aged 3, 5, 8 and 10.

As is often the case had life become about working hard and providing a stable environment for her four children. Everyone else came first, mum came second. While working as a full time registered nurse she struggled to find any time for herself, becoming overweight and unfit.

So how do you go from being an overweight and unfit single mum of four, to the start line at the Toyota IRONMAN Australia? You find someone who shows you how.

“At 40-years-old I met Sam, who I married in 2012. He was into triathlon and I started training with him and I lost 30 kg,” Breakwell said.

“I did my first sprint triathlon when I was 41 and ran my first marathon at 42. I did my first Ironman last year with my husband. I was 44-years-old.”

Training for an Ironman is as much a test of your time management skills as your athletic ability, but for someone who spent ten years as a single mum of four, the time management was the easy part.

“I train with my husband and working shift work can sometimes make it a little easier to train. I am very organised and love the feeling I get after training,” she said.

Breakwell loves the challenge Ironman represents, and enjoys every aspect of the race weekend.

“It is the ultimate endurance event. It is so professionally organised. I love the whole weekend, the pasta night the race and the presentation night. Also to be a woman and to be an Ironman is pretty cool. It’s an elite group of women,” she said.

And not only has she increased her fitness and lost weight, she has inspired the rest of her family to get active.

“My children are proud of me and think I am a little obsessed and crazy but I have also inspired them. My daughter did her first triathlon this year and my 24-year-old son just ran his first marathon last weekend and is planning to do an Ironman next year. My 48-year-old sister did her first Ironman at Melbourne a couple of weeks ago,” she said.

As much as she loves the journey to the start line of an Ironman, Breakwell is looking forward to crossing the finish line and hearing those six magical words, ‘Lisa Breakwell you are an Ironman.’

“When I finish I will feel such a sense of achievement. I will be elated, relieved and so, so happy. I love the finish, my family will all be there and I will be crying.”