Sport
21 June, 2024
First place ‘surreal’
ATHLETE Matt Burton has set a new course best time at the 2024 Cairns Airport Ironman Asia-Pacific Championship Cairns.
Both he and Hannah Berry secured maximum Ironman Pro Series points. Western Australia’s Burton finished three and a half minutes before New Zealand’s Braden Currie, with New Zealand’s Berry finishing in first, over six minutes before reigning women's champion Kylie Simpson.
Burton said the thought of having set a new record along with maximum points was surreal, especially after a recent health issue.
“It’s surreal, this is my 10th trip across,” he said.
“It's by far the most beautiful Cairns for my 10th time over to enjoy the Far North.
“I knew I was in relatively good shape, despite the start of the year.
“I had a real hiatus in and out of hospital with some issues, I was 10 weeks off my feet.”
Having almost lost his right foot to a serious infection in January, his win can be seen as a testimony to his determination.
“When you have 10 weeks off you start from zero,” Burton said.
“You’ve got no fitness, but the beauty is muscle memory.
“Muscle does remember, and it just took 10 weeks to remember before I really started to feel a little bit more myself.
“I decided to come into Cairns two weeks early, and it was the best decision of my life.”
Berry said she had worked harder than she ever had before, proud that it paid off with her biggest career victory.
“I don't know how to put it into words. It means a lot,” she said.
“It’s a big step in the right direction for me, and it's exciting.
“We work so hard for this.
“You really have to celebrate these times because sport has its ups and downs, so I'll be celebrating tonight.”
Burton said his win had pushed him to want to enjoy the sport even more.
“Sport is beautiful, but with all forms of beauty, there's trauma, and there's tribulation,” he said.
“It very much became about not just me performing but having my wife and my son experience it as a real team.
“Who knows, he might actually remember this, maybe it’s his first memory being two and a half.
“It takes a lot more than an athlete to get across the line in good shape.”
