Margaret River athlete returns from Austria Ironman

Competing in the world championship Ironman 70.3 in Austria, Bolton finished as the seventh Australian across the finish line in his age group, making the top 50 percent of competitors in the overall competition.

This was an impressive feat, with Bolton finishing in the top 500 out of 3722 overall competitors.

The landscape was more than Bolton could have ever expected, he said.

“It was everything we don’t have here, really,” Bolton said.

The brutal nature of the race was evident to Bolton with a series of near drowning incidents, falls and steep inclines making it one of the toughest physical competitions in the world.

“I surprised myself to be honest,” he said.

“I enjoyed the challenge… You just push yourself a bit harder.”

He said the physical demands of such a competition would probably prove too much in the future, however he already has his eye set on more competitions closer to home.

He is back into training, preparing himself for the Busselton Ironman competition on the horizon in December.

For anyone who aspired to compete such as Bolton, he said he was more than willing to lend a helping hand having achieved his coaching ticket.

For training and nutritional advice he can be reached at jarrad.bolton@hotmail.com.

Bolton wished to thank his friends and family for their ongoing support, particularly on his journey to Austria.

He would like to extend particular thanks to the Augusta Margaret River Shire, Dylan Brown from the Recreation Centre and Steve Bolsta from Backyard Creations.