There are several sports that come under the umbrella of Multisport at Auckland Grammar School, including Triathlon, where competitors take part in in three different disciplines - swimming, cycling and running - over various distances.

The Triathlon at the Summer Olympic Games is a 1.5km swim, a 40km bike ride and a 10km run. While that may seem challenging enough, there are some ultra-athletes who compete on a whole other level - the Ironman, which is a 3.88km swim, a 180km bike ride and a 42.2km run, equalling a full marathon.

A man who is no stranger to this level of competition is David Carroll '84. While only at Auckland Grammar until Form 5 when he and his family moved to Sydney, David wasn't aware of Triathlon; in fact, in his own words, he was no athlete! "I couldn't swim, but I enjoyed riding my bike and going for runs up Mt Eden with other Tibbs House students."

It was only after he joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) that his interest in Triathlon piqued. "I only learned about Triathlon a year or so before it was popularized when it was added to the Olympic Games."

Studying Aerospace Engineering at the University of New South Wales and transferring to the RNZAF in 1997, David's first foray into the world of competitive triathlon was in 1999 at the RNZAF base at Ohakea, where he swam in the base pool and rode a mountain bike. "It was a really great experience. After the base triathlon, I entered an Olympic distance triathlon in Gisborne, which was fantastic."

David has a very busy next 12 months to look forward to. If the current COVID travel restrictions permit, he will be competing in four Ironman and Ultraman races across Australia and New Zealand, with a strict training regime meaning David works out at least six days a week. "The average day usually involves a morning session and an after-work session, rotating through 3-4 sets each of swims, bike rides, or runs each week, with shorted sessions during the week, and long sessions on the weekends. I usually have a rest day on Mondays."

In early June, David competed in his 13th Ironman race in Cairns, a race he has competed in five times previously! "Ironman Cairns is one of my favourites races. It was the first Ironman race I did, and it has a beautiful bike ride between Palm Cove and Port Douglas with rainforest hills on one side, and the Pacific Ocean on the other side."

David's biggest upcoming race is the Ultraman Australia, to be held in Noosa - the ultimate three-day triathlon. "Ultraman Australia debuted in 2015, and with the exception of 2020 due to COVID restrictions, I have been fortunate enough to compete in every race, and so far, being the only person to compete every year."

Originated in Hawaii in 1983, the race is split across three days, each with a 12-hour cut off. On day 1, competitors take part in a 10km ocean swim and a 140km bike ride. Day 2 is a 289km bike ride and day 3 is a mammoth 84.3km run, the equivalent of running two marathons back-to-back.

David gave us some insight into how the competitors push themselves to the extreme. "There are usually 40-50 competitors, including a few that come over from New Zealand. Each competitor must have a support crew in a vehicle during the bike leg and run, and a kayak 'paddler' accompanying them for the swim. The crew provides the athlete with nutrition being drinks and solid food to keep them nourished and hydrated."

Even though David was only at Grammar for three years of high school - "I often wish I had been able to complete Form 6 and 7 as well" - the lessons and discipline he learned while at the School set him up greatly, not only for his day job but with sticking to his training schedules for upcoming races.

"Grammar taught me something - that we can do anything if we set our minds to it, and put in the hard work. This is true, regardless of how old you are. Make the most of the learning and sporting opportunities that Grammar offers. Find out what interests you and what you are good at, and pursue a career and sport that you can be passionate about."