Why Patagonman?

The first question people ask me when they hear that I'm participating in Patagonman is how I came up with that idea. Good question actually, why Patagonman? Well, my journey to Patagonman started way back in June 2019 when I first saw images of Patagonia and the Patagonman triathlon. I already had some experience with practicing the triathlon. First during my high school days in the eighties of the last century, and later also at the beginning of this century. But training for a triathlon is difficult to combine with a young family of 3 kids, who also chose different sports. Instead of being a triathlete, I became a taxi driver, coach and trainer, so the triathlon was put on hold. As the kids grew up, more time became available and in 2019 the time had come to pick up the triathlon sport again.

"My favorite thing to do is exercise in nature"

Sports in nature is what I love to do the most. It is for me a spiritual, cognitive as well as a physical perception of life. On the one hand the peace and beauty of nature and on the other hand the physical effort and suffering. It brings me into the here and now, and that creates mental space and relaxation. Moments of euphoria, emotion and creativity alternate. During training, this sometimes manifests itself in a kind of exuberant craziness. Good thing no one sees me then. Of the many sports that I like to do, the triathlon is my favorite. Swimming, cycling and running not only keep me fit all round. I also experience the beauty of nature from three different perspectives.

"In a triathlon you experience the beauty of nature from three different perspectives"

That's how I scoured the internet for triathlon competitions in a nice environment. And then I saw a documentary about Patagonman (see videos). Eureka! It wasn't even a choice or consideration I made. It was just there, that's where I wanted to go. It didn't matter that I didn't have full distance triathlon experience yet, and Patagonman is even part of the so-called Extreme Triathlon Series. I didn't even know what that meant. It was also not the extreme that attracted me, but especially the beauty of nature in Patagonia. The mountains with the glaciers, the fjords and wild rivers... It seemed like a combination of Norway, Switzerland and New Zealand. Nothing seemed more pure and intimate to me than moving through this remote primordial landscape of Patagonia under one's own power. Now I had a new goal, and I forged a three-year plan to achieve it: Road to Patagonman.