AN IRONMAN competitor has set his sights on the ultimate challenge – the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. John Williams, from Stevenage, is training hard to qualify for the event, which will see him up against the world s best Ironman competitors. I

AN IRONMAN competitor has set his sights on the ultimate challenge - the Ironman World Championships in Hawaii.

John Williams, from Stevenage, is training hard to qualify for the event, which will see him up against the world's best Ironman competitors.

Ironman is an endurance event which involves a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a marathon run - all of which must be completed within 17 hours.

To qualify for the World Championships, John must complete the challenge in a little over nine hours.

John, who is a training coach for David Lloyd Leisure and as such gives advice to personal trainers, will head to Austria in April and America in November to attempt this in his fifth and sixth Ironman events.

He devotes 20 hours a week to training for Ironman, with swimming, cycling, running and resistance sessions.

John, 30, said: "The distances involved mean I can go across three counties in one bike session.

"I train six days a week, with one rest day which is usually Monday. I must be one of the only people who look forward to Mondays!"

John first became interested in endurance events when he picked up a free entry into a sprint triathlon in 2003.

His ultimate goal is to complete all 24 Ironman events in the race calendar around the world within his lifetime.

John said: "Sometimes people do think it's crazy. The Ironman is regarded as the toughest endurance event in the world.

"You get really fatigued and aren't able to run for a week after an Ironman.

"I've been put on a drip after completing an Ironman before!

"It's a huge commitment that can hurt physically, mentally and financially, but it does bring positive attributes to my life.