A Mississauga man has set a new world record by completing 200 ironman triathlons.
The triathlon is one of the toughest athletic competitions in the world, involving almost four kilometres of swimming, 180 kilometres of cycling followed by a full marathon.
But 65-year-old John Wragg said he enjoys it as a hobby.
“I’ve never been a really good spectator,” he said. “To have completed more ironmans than anybody else the world, it’s a good feeling.”
Wragg completed his 200th ironman in November.
“I never planned to do that many,” he said. “My first year of racing ironman, there was only five in the entire world and I had a bet with a guy in our swim club to do all five.”
For Wragg, it all started in the late 1980s. He said he only competed in two or three races in his first year.
“This year, I did 17 races, which is probably too many,” he said, adding that ironmans are a “positive addiction.”
But Wragg’s journey to the world record has not been without adversity. He had to recover from having his hip replaced after being hit by a truck in 2008.
“The orthopedic surgeons, after the second surgery, said that I was never going to do another race,” he said. “They told me to go find a new sport, so I went out and found a new doctor.”
Seven years later, the 65-year-old is still competing and training daily.
“My first rest day will be the first year I’m dead,” he said.
