It took three tries, but Sister Madonna Buder finally achievedĀ her goal of setting a record for the 80-plus age group.
āEither the third time is the charm or three strikes and Iām out,ā said Buder, 82, who now owns four records. āI really did feel graced to accomplish it.ā
She continued to do the triathlon because of the triathletes enthusiasm.
āItās become family for me,ā said Buder. āParticularly the attitude of the Canadians. They are so open and so welcoming. I just feel so much at home coming back to Penticton.ā
Buder was challenged by the course Sunday when she reached Yellow Lake, an area that has always given her trouble.
āItās so tempting to dismount and walk that last portion of it,ā she said. āThere are head winds after that little arm before approaching Yellow Lake. I donāt know what it is.ā
However, she felt a power other than her own pushing her through.
āIt was one of the smoothest that I ever had,ā said Buder, who finished the triathlon in 16 hours, 32 minutes. āI really feel truly blessed. Grateful to be able to open the age group.ā
Asked about the switch from Ironman to Challenge Penticton, Buder welcomes it because of the feeling sheās had since the World Triathlon Corporation took control.
āWe (triathletes) are just treated as a commodity for a business, big business,ā said Buder, who grew up in St. Louis, Mo. with a strong tone. āThis corporation (the Challenge Family) seems to have a feel for the triathletes and for the community of Penticton. The Canadians can take it back and own it.ā
Buder said the community did a superb job with Ironman Canada when it was their own.
āIt was elegant yet it had all the touches that smacked of enthusiasm and appreciation for the efforts of the triathletes,ā said Buder. āIt was just wonderful. I know we canāt go backwards. This to me is an eye opener I hope for WTC, that they cannot monopolize the world of triathlon.
āThey are going global but they need to have somebody stand up against them because itās outrageous,ā she continued. āThe prices they are charging itās like the emperorās new clothes, you pay more for less.ā
Buder plans to return to Penticton and participate in Challenge next year in a relay team. In what she described as a āserendipity situation,ā she, Graham Fraserās daughter Ryann, and Dyane Lynch, the first female to do Ironman will form the team. They will be called the Pioneers.
āThis was supposed to be my swan song, kissing the Ironman goodbye. At least taking a vacation from it. I didnāt want to lose contact with the Canadians. Because they had opened this to teams I thought, hey, now Iām still doing a swan song, but I can come back as a team member.ā
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