Winning a triathlon at 57

April 24, 2013 · 0 Comments

Hans Porten and coach Barrie Shepley after Porten won Ironman Austria.

Fifty-seven year old Hans Porten did his first triathlon a dozen years ago in C3’s local Kids of Steel Triathlon.
Caledon’s Barrie Shepley saw Porten swimming at a local Caledon Pool and convinced him to try his luck at the local Kids of Steel Triathlon.
“There I was, standing in the pool waiting for my first adult pool triathlon and there were hundreds of seven, eight and nine year olds finishing up their race,” Porten said. “It was so energizing.”
Porten loved his first triathlon and fell in love with the sport. Over the last dozen years, he has raced all over the world for Canada, has won dozens of major triathlons, including an Ironman in Austria, competed at the Hawaii Ironman and won a bronze medal at the World Age Group Triathlon Championships.
Porten and his wife Uli are big supporters of the local C3 Canadian Cross Training Club, helping run many workouts and are the first to volunteer for any event the club organizes.
“Uli and I moved to Canada from Germany and we absolutely love the energy, support and passion that C3 shows to any person of any age,” he said.
Porten will be participating May 26 in the 13th annual C3 Kinetico Kids of Steel Race, and then will be volunteering in the afternoon for the youth waves along with his wife.
“To see nearly 1,000 kids and family members out participating and being active and healthy is so inspiring, and Uli and I would never miss the yearly event,” he remarked.
Porten has big goals this summer, as he is preparing for Ironman Mt. Tremblant in August and hopes to join some of his senior C3 teammates at the 2013 Hawaii Ironman in October.
Porten wants to encourage all of Caledon to consider signing up for the Kids of Steel Triathlon, or to find a way of getting involved as a volunteer or telling neighbours about the event held at Caledon Central Pool on Kennedy Road.
Details about the event and how to register are at www.c3online.ca