As Yvonne Timewell took the women’s side for Ultraman Canada, with a record-setting time, she had a supporter from a distance.
Penticton triathlete Janelle Morrison followed Timewell’s efforts on the Internet, then was told by a friend what the Kamloops resident accomplished as she clocked in at 25 hours, 24 minutes and 32 seconds.
“I think it’s an amazing accomplishment,” said Morrison, who posted a congratulatory message to her friend, a nurse who cared for her in ICU in 2010. “The heat this weekend was extraordinary. I just kept thinking these guys are doing Ultraman and this is just crazy. The mental tenacity and the willpower that she needed to have in order to not only complete it, but also win the event, break a record, is truly outstanding.”
Timewell helped care for Morrison as she recovered from a car accident. Morrison described her as a very caring, compassionate and hard-working person. Timewell met up with Morrison when she returned to Kamloops’ Royal Inland Hospital to have hardware removed from her ankle and arm and gave a gift and a card she made. The card is on the side of Morrison’s fridge. On the front are the words: determination, strength and perseverance. Inside are the following definitions and quotes:
“Endurance — ability to withstand pain, or hardship or prolonged use or strain.”
“Achievement without struggle isn’t rewarding,” by Canadian triathlete Heather Fuhr.
“What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson.
“Strength does not come from physical capacity, it comes from an indomitable will.” — Mahatma Ghandi.
Also in the card, Timewell wrote, “Janelle, another step forward. Looking forward to racing with you, Ironman Canada 2012.”
“This is just the kind of person that she is,” said Morrison, who reached out to Timewell Sunday evening hoping to get together. “This is a deserving champion. Period.”
Timewell made her mark on Day 1 of Ultraman Canada setting a new record on her bike, finishing the 144.8-kilometre distance in four hours, 44 minutes and five seconds, besting Consuela Lively's 2012 record of 4:56:55. The Kamloops native has set another bike record on the Ultraman Canada triathlon course on Day 2. This time she completed the 273.5-kilometre bike distance in nine hours, three minutes and 38 seconds on day 2, besting Amber Montforte's 2009 mark of 9:14:22 by just under 11 minutes. Timewell's performance bumped her to third overall at 17:06:58.