Owensboro native Brian Kenady competed in the IRONMAN World Championship over the weekend in Nice, France. As an amateur athlete, commonly referred to as “age-groupers” in the sport, Kenady qualified by besting several other competitors in his age group from around the world.
After 16 years of competing, Kenady’s 5th-place finish in his age division in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was just enough to push him past the qualifying mark last year. Kenady now resides in Elizabethtown, Kentucky, having to travel 5,000 miles for the competition in France.
“I had the best support crew ever,” he said. “One of my sisters, Paulette, brought four of her friends, plus my niece, Brit. It was an amazing experience, highlighted by swimming in the Mediterranean Sea and its deep blue beautifulness.”
Unique to this event was the swim portion not being wetsuit legal; that usually gives Kenady anxiety. However, the second he reached the starting line, he said all his apprehension subsided.
“At one point early in the swim, I thought to myself, ‘this is fun,’ only to gulp a mouthful of seawater the next swim stroke,” Kenady said. “That didn’t deter me from the fun, but it reminded me that I need to concentrate a bit more.”
During the bike segment, Kenady climbed the French Alps in what he described as the most difficult 112 miles he’s ever ridden. He said the “spectacular and breathtaking” views quickly overshadowed his fatigue, taking as much time as possible to “soak it in.”
“I told myself I would enjoy this experience and take in all the day had to offer rather than ‘race’ the event,” he said. “It was a great day, and I’m so thankful I got to experience it.”
The run course consisted of four 6.6-mile loops, with spectators lining the entire route, offering endless cheers and motivation. Kenady said that because the race prints names on their bids, he constantly heard, “Let’s go, Brian,” or “Brian, you’re amazing.” He said at one point, a young man from France joined him on the course, extending several words of encouragement.
Kenady was born and raised in Owensboro, graduating from Daviess County High School in the 1980s. His passion for triathlons stems from 16 years ago when he volunteered at an aid station during the inaugural Louisville Ironman.
“It was 11:30 p.m., and I was working the last aid station right before the finish line, and the race concluded at midnight,” Kenady said. “About that time, a gentleman, I would guess in his mid-to-late 70s, came through my station looking very rough. He struggled to stand up straight and was barely shuffling his feet but still moving forward. As he left the aid station, he looked at me with a smile and said, ‘In one mile, I’m going to be an Ironman.’”
Kenady said it was at that moment that he knew he wanted to be able to say those exact words. And those very words have served as the ultimate motivation ever since.
On the ensuing day, he began training and eventually competed in his first Ironman in Panama City, Florida, in 2008. Before the experience in Louisville, Kenady had minimal knowledge about triathlons, committing much of his free time to studying best practices.
Since 2008, he’s completed 15 full-distance Ironman triathlons. He would have completed 16, but an unfortunate bike crash at the Coeur d’Alene in Idaho prevented him from finishing.
“I believe there are currently 43 full-distance Ironman events held annually across the world,” Kenady said. “I target completing one Ironman event yearly and prefer a different host city location each time. I use Ironman as an excuse to visit someplace I might not have gone to otherwise.”
