Local girls help each other out for Ironman

By Tyler Lowey, Times Reporter

Running an Ironman or a Half Ironman can be a gruelling challenge, but it can be made a little easier when doing it with a friend.
Especially when your friend has nearly a quarter-decade of experience under her belt, or in this case, swim cap.
Candice Fargey was new to the triathlon game. She got her feet wet during an ITU World Qualifying event in Edmonton in September 2017 after reading on a website that “anyone can do it.”
Admittedly, Fargey was out of her league, as athletes hopped off planes from places around the world for this event. Nevertheless, she was not discouraged. When she returned to Strathmore, she consulted other local long-distance athletes about her struggles.
Already with a passion for the pool and knowing her way around the bike, she picked up some advice from local running guru Kelly Yorston. After learning a few pointers, her training began to take off.
Off in the distance was the 70.3-kilometre Half Ironman in Victoria on June 3.
When chatting with her friends in her bike club about the possibility of attending the race because it was also close to her son who is attending the University of Victoria, one of the veterans of the triathlon group chimed in.
“I’ll do it,” exclaimed Janice Bird, a local athlete who is competing in her 23rd season of triathlons.
The Victoria Ironman is known for its curving hills throughout the race and dirt paths, which are easier on joints than pavement runs.
So, the two agreed to train as often as possible together and to both enter the race.
“I enjoy the races because of the endurance part, but I also enjoy them because of the journey they take you on when you’re training and when you are running the race,” said Bird. “For me, the race is the icing on top of the cake.”
The two racing partners had vastly different work and life schedules, which made training together difficult at times. Both were putting in the required amount of work at the gym and would occasionally bump into each other along the way and check in on how the other was doing in the weeks leading up to the race.
“Going to Victoria with (Janice) was great. She definitely took the stress out of the process for me and was willing to do the things that drive me crazy, such as driving the bike course and taking note of where nutrition and hydration stations were,” said Fargey.
Bird claims that even after all of her years of racing, she doesn’t have a secret formula or a key to success for Fargey, but she wasn’t that worried about her race partner in the end.
“I could tell that Candice was going to do well in the race. She is a strong athlete who has a competitive edge to her. She can go as far as she wants to in this sport, no doubt in my mind,” said Bird.
Fargey handled her own and finished 26th out of 103 athletes in the 40 to 44 female division with a time of 6:02:59.
Bird, who was battling back spasms the week and day of the race, still turned in a remarkable time of 6:21:35 in the 50 to 54 female age group, which placed her 22nd out of 84 athletes.
“I’m glad I am still able to enjoy these races and cross the finish line with a smile on my face,” said Bird. “Of course, sharing the race experience with a friend is also great, too.”
The two distance athletes have different plans for their next race, but now they have something to look back on one day. And who knows, maybe they’ll find themselves lined up together in another Ironman.