Kent prepares for Ironman 70.3 in Melbourne — ABC News Australia

In Australia, 37-year-old visually impaired triathlete Matthew Kent is preparing for Ironman 70.3 Melbourne, scheduled for November 8. He will complete the distance together with guide Brad Mantszak: the programme includes a 1.8 km swim, a 90 km cycling leg and a 21.1 km run. ABC News Australia reports on the athlete’s preparation.

Swimming with a guide

Kent has retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic eye condition that causes vision loss, night blindness and tunnel vision. His current field of vision is limited to 0–5 degrees. During the swimming leg, he and his guide are connected by a tether secured around their waists. They stay away from the main group of participants to avoid arm strikes and possible collisions.

According to Kent, while swimming he uses the position of the guide to his left to orient himself. If the tether becomes very tight, the athlete understands that he is moving in the wrong direction. Kent also said that he gets nervous when he feels splashing nearby in the water.

Tandem and previous races

Kent began losing his sight after the age of 15 and had lost most of it by the age of 20. He previously played water polo, and about three years ago his brother Jeremy introduced him to triathlon and became his first guide.

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Last year, the brothers attempted to complete the full Ironman distance in Busselton, Western Australia. They completed the 3.8 km swim but withdrew due to illness when about 20 km remained before the finish of the 180 km cycling leg.

With Mantszak, Kent has already competed in a half marathon as part of the Geelong Running Festival, Ironman 70.3 Geelong in March, and the Barwon Heads Triathlon. For the cycling leg, they use a custom-made tandem bicycle imported from the Czech Republic. On descents, the pair reach speeds of up to 70 km/h, but climbs are more difficult because of the weight of two people on the bike.

During the running leg, the athletes are again connected by a tether. Mantszak tells Kent about changes in gradient, surface and the situation around them. Kent would like to complete Ironman 70.3 in about six hours, although he does not set an exact target time.