Amer Chebaro completes grueling Isuzu Ironman South Africa 226 km race
Amer has been competing in triathlon events since 2015
Amer Chebaro, Managing Director of D-Software, recently accomplished a monumental sports achievement by completing the grueling Isuzu Ironman South Africa race held on March 2, 2023 in Mandela Bay.
The Ironman race is considered one of the toughest endurance events in the world, consisting of a 3.8 km swim, 180 km bike ride, and a 42.2 km full marathon, all on the same day, back-to-back, with no rest. To qualify as a finisher, the race must be completed in less than 17 hours.
Amer had been training intensively for the big event. “I started participating in triathlons in 2015, and have completed a few, including seven half-Ironman distance races. However, my eyes were always set on the FULL Ironman.” Initially, he had planned to do the SA race in March 2020, but it was cancelled a week before due to COVID restrictions. In 2021, he was geared up to participate in the race, but it was again cancelled.
As a busy Midis Group leader, Amer had to thoughtfully plan a ramp up year in 2022 because the race requires a strong fitness base and a regular commitment towards training. “The hardest part was not the race itself, but committing to 10-16 hours of training per week for six months while juggling a demanding job and family commitments.”
Amer’s accomplishment is particularly noteworthy given the additional challenges of the race. The ocean swim was in rough waters known for having great white sharks, and the bike ride was not only very long but also had 1500 meters of vertical ascent.
Despite these obstacles, Amer demonstrated incredible physical and mental strength, completing the race in an impressive time of 14 hours and 21 minutes, on a day where Port Elizabeth had torrential rain and bad wind. Out of 776 participants, only 641 finished the race. “The cherry on top of the cake is that I completed the race with my wife Maya,” shares Amer.
“Taking on big targets might seem daunting – but they are achievable with the right commitment level,” writes Amer. Whether it’s a sports goal, a professional ambition, or a personal challenge, Amer’s achievement shows that with hard work and dedication, we can accomplish anything we set our minds on.
