Being in constant motion for more than 113 kilometres, through swimming, biking and running, isn’t a task most would dare to attempt, but for long-distance enthusiast Gabe Rabess, it’s a challenge he is ready for.
He will be testing his limits at the 2023 IRONMAN 70.3 [mile] World Championship for men, being held in Lahti, Finland on 27 Aug. Women will race the day before.
Competing at the world championships will not only mark a milestone for Rabess, but it would also make him the first Caymanian to do so at that level.
He qualified for the prestigious championships back in June at the 2023 IRONMAN Eagleman in Maryland, where he placed 125th overall out of over 1,500 athletes, and ninth in the age 50-54 male division.
“I have always had an interest in qualifying for a world championship,” Rabess told the Compass. “However, with other sporting interests… it has been difficult to focus on one sport of three disciplines until a couple of years ago.”
Over the years, Rabess, who is the father of Cayman’s national swimmer Kyra Rabess, has competed in many sports, including athletics, ice hockey and squash, for which he has represented Cayman at many major events, including the Commonwealth Games.
He noted that after he hung up his squash racket in 2018, he began dabbling in other sports like ultimate frisbee and pickleball, but he has been particularly drawn to triathlons.
However, while it has been his favoured sport for the past four years, he admitted that it isn’t easy preparing for competitions like the IRONMAN 70.3, but he strives to overcome any challenges to reach his goals.
“It requires a number of hours of training and juggling of personal and work life… and having qualified in June…I have not really had any time to chill and relax as it is right back to training.
“It all really depends on what you want to achieve,” he said, adding he was “keen to complete this chapter of my life [and then] relax for a bit.”
Rabess will begin his race at the 70.3 World Championships on Sunday, 27 Aug., with the 1.93km swim at Lake Vesijärvi in Teivaa Harbour.
He will then exit the water and immediately get on a bike to ride 90km through the small towns of Kärkölä and Hollola. Finally, Rabess will finish with a 21.1 km run, consisting of two loops, both indoors and outdoors.
And as Rabess prepares for what will no doubt be one of the biggest, if not the biggest, test of his sporting life, he thanks those closest to him for sticking by his side while motivating him to push forward.
“I would first like to thank my wife Alicia [Proud-Rabess] for supporting me during my training and at the races,” he said. “She has motivated me to get out and train on bad days and has provided me with time to train, by covering some of my responsibilities at home,” he said.
He then thanked his “daughter, who is pretty busy herself setting national and [overseas] games records, and getting ready for uni by providing encouraging words of wisdom prior to key sessions and races. I would also like to thank Patrick Harfield, a veteran himself in the sport of triathlon, who has given me direction and guidance in my training and preparing me for this event over the past year.”
He added his appreciation to his employer – the Cayman Islands Regiment – for allowing him to take the time to go on his journey, and thanked the Cayman Islands Triathlon Association and Ministry of Sports for their contributions.
After his challenge in Finland, Rabess said he has his eyes set on the 2024 IRONMAN in New Zealand, scheduled for March, but nothing is confirmed as yet.
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