From the Chess to the Ironman Lanzarote, we interviewed Juan Antonio Bermejo, winner of the La Santa Ironman Lanzarote dorsal thanks to Skechers

{wbamp-meta name=”image” url=”images/stories/noticias_08/juan-antonio-bermejo-ironman-lanzarote.JPG” width=”300″ height=”150″}

We interview Juan Antonio Bermejo, winner of the La Santa Ironman Lanzarote dorsal thanks to Skechers

Juan Antonio Bermejo he is a good connoisseur of Ironman Lanzarote not only as an athlete, where he has competed twice (2017 and 2018), but also as a volunteer and as a volunteer where he has been up to 11 times.

Resident in Valladolid, the triathlete was the winner of the dorsal of the Lanzarote Ironman that we raffle together with Skechers, and a few days after finishing the test and already with his finisher medal we wanted to interview to know in first person how an athlete lives this great experience.

How and when did you start doing triathlon?

I started 8 years ago and the “how” was because my brother had been running in the elite for approximately 18 years when few people knew what the word “Triathlon” was. One day I asked myself why not me? But I never imagined getting to this, I never did sports. I came from playing chess! It was impossible… something he couldn't imagine would go this far.

 8 years already competing ... What do you feel have been your best results?

For my best race it was in long distance it was in Castellón where I finished 5th in my 40/45 age group and where I got my best time in this “Ironman” distance. This test was much tougher than Barcelona and Vitoria, although not as tough as Lanzarote. My best result in the shortest distance has been in the Olympic, finishing 12th in the general of the Villameca Triathlon

In running tests, my best time in 10k was 40 minutes and the 21k in 1h 29m. I have never participated in a marathon, although my Ironman mark is 3h 57m.

How was your reaction to knowing that you had been the 2 winner months before the test?

At that moment several things happened to me in the head, but of course I was sharing it with my family. The first was my wife and then my brother. Little more time to react ... a mixture of feelings between excitement, concern and responsibility in training an IRONMAN in no time either!

Could you adapt your workouts to get the test right?

The truth was that it cost me a lot, having to get up very early in the morning. In Valladolid at 5:30 it is very cold but with willpower. Everything is possible!

You have been testing the Skechers shoes these weeks before the competition. What have been your sensations? 

Very good comfortable and light, ideal to compete in these distances.

How was the competition? Have you enjoyed it?

Better than expected, from less to more of course I've enjoyed ... And a lot! My goal was to finish it and that's how it was.

The first 27 Kilometer of the Marathon went very well little by little I was emptying and the last 5 km I suffered a lot, the feelings ended empty giving everything but with pride and hope to see that I had achieved it.

Any previous anecdote, during or after the competition?

See that for one reason or another, another year would be on the island and ... already go 13.

Before competing, I was a volunteer for 11 years in IRONMAN helping Kike (one of the founders of the event and who died two years ago) and his wife (Isabel). Kike passed away last year ... I always remembered him at the refreshment point ... he was a great person. Living IRONMAN from within, as a volunteer or competing, is certainly a great experience.

 Would you recommend Ironman Lanzarote?

Of course, without any doubt, for me until you do this Ironman you are not "a real IRONMAN" 

Would you recommend Skechers?

Yes, the truth that I was surprised by his performance

If you had to define the Skechers Sneakers in three words, what would they be?

Comfortable, fast and light

If you had to define IM Lanzarote in three words, what would they be?

Discipline, improvement and respect

Acknowledgments and next objectives

Thank for your position to each and every one of those who voted me on the networks because thanks to them I could be here (Jorge, Juanes, Isabel etc ...) and especially my brother (my coach), my parents, my wife and my daughter for giving me all the time so I could do the workouts.