A 61-year-old Irish woman has remarkably finished the Ironman triathlon in Austria. Marie Casey Breen, a nurse from Wexford, completed the 2.4 mile swim, 112-mile bicycle ride and a marathon 26.2-mile run, in order and without a break in 14 hours and a 54 minutes. Breen had previously competed in a number of triathlons starting with the 'Kilkee Hell of the West' as she relied on a 'ropey breast stroke.'
Breen had cycled competitively and run in marathons throughout her 20s before having five kids and leaving her serious athletic pursuits behind for the most part. However, she returned to training approached her fiftieth birthday and was intrigued by idea of doing a triathlon and eventually joined a Wexford club. 'I had no idea what a triathlon was but it just sounded like a great thing to do. Triathlons had just started in Wexford and it took me six months to get the courage to ask somebody, 'what is a triathlon?'"
Breen (pictured far left) spoke on her appearance on the John Murray Show with Miriam O'Callaghan in May, that she needed a 'challenge with a bit of an edge' after only recovering from bowel cancer just over 18 months ago. That challenge turned out to be the Ironman in Austria and having completed it, Breen is now expected to get a tattoo. In an interview with the Independent last month, she said "I really actually don't like tattoos – I'd kill the lads if they got one – but this is different. If you manage the Ironman, you're entitled to one."
(Photo via @paudimac) and Paul Mohan/SPORTSFILE
