The most veteran Finishers of the Spanish triathlon

Tomás Amado from 72 years and Montserrat Clavero from 62 are the oldest Spanish Ironman Finishers.

 

 

Montserrat Clavero she has 62 years, belongs to the Club Natació Reus Ploms and is a pediatrician. For 10 years ago she runs a Day Center for people with some type of dementia such as Alzheimer's. The reason for this abrupt change of profession was due to the diagnosis of Alzheimer's that was made to his mother before he turned 70 years ... who has now completed the 101 years.

Tomas Amado will fulfill 72 year next December, he is currently retired from his profession as an upholsterer. Resides in Sant Boi and belongs to the Cycling Club of Sant Boi.

Both have been the most veteran Spaniards in getting the classification for Kona, Montserrat in the IM Barcelona 2014 and Tomás in the 2015, although neither of them has yet been able to compete in "Le Meca".

How did you start competing in Triathlon?

Montserrat: For some time now I was interested in this sport, I knew it from foreign magazines and when the first triathlon was held in Catalonia I did not hesitate to register. It was held in Manresa and was in June of 1986, then in September of the same year was held what has been called Triathlon of Catalonia in Banyolas and is still being held, they are already going through the 31 editions and there is the fact that I have not failed never.

All of these first Olympic triathlons did not have the popular sprint of today and of course you could not "go wheel".

Since then I have been participating in the triathlons of Catalonia to gradually expand borders, first were championships in Spain and then Europe or the World. As I have done with the distances: sprints, Olympic, B or Halfs, C, to reach the Ironman.

Tomás: I started competing in the 84 year in Australia, where we did competitions between companies.

What has changed from the triathlon when I started now?

Montserrat: It has changed a lot, at the beginning during the first years there was only Olympic distance (for Spain some had distance B, but very few) and the best was not being able to "go to the wheel" I think the true essence of triathlon was lost on the day who authorized the platoons. It was a collective sport but it only depended on you.

Anecdotal things, because they had also, the typical chichoneras that forced us to wear in the head, or different models of bicycles, such as folding 70 years.

Tomás: From when I started to now there has been a radical change. I started when I started cycling, then we had to get on a boat, swim to an island, then come the race on foot and back to the boat. The first one who arrived on the ship was the winner. Change has changed much the matter, the bicycles, wetsuits, the way to take the times, in short everything.

What is the result or competition of which you feel most proud?

Montserrat: As a competition I keep an unforgettable memory of my first Ironman in Austria (Klagenfurt) in the 2004 with 51 years, I had participated in several European and World Long distance Championships but all had been distance C, and the distance to the Ironman was Important for me. Even more so when I was first in my age group from 50 to 54 years getting a place for Hawaii that I could not take advantage of due to family problems (sometimes the same thing happened to me again).

Tomás: The result of which I am most proud, was a victory in an Olympic triathlon in Arafura (Australia). And I'm also very happy with Calella's Ironman result a couple of seasons ago when I won in my 65-69 age group.

What races have you played this 2016?

Montserrat: This season is being somewhat lazy due to various physical problems. I always try to do all the Duathlon and Triathlon Calendar of the Catalan Federation, plus the Championships of Spain and some of Europe or the World these always in long distance. But this season I have been satisfied with not all duathlons, the Spanish Duathlon Championship in Cerdañola and from now on all the Catalan Circuit triathlons

Tomás: This year I competed in the Half of Peñíscola and the Ironman Nice.

What was your last Ironman?

Montserrat: My last Ironman was Calella in October of the 2015, which was quite a challenge for me. At the beginning of the 2014 caring for my mother with Alzheimer's disease and trying to transfer her from one chair to another and to avoid a fall, I had the misfortune to fracture the internal meniscus of my right knee, so that the solution was to remove it. all. The date of the Ironman was approaching and I had to decide ... if I had surgery I did not know how it would be and if I could continue running, there was no time for the operation and training an Ironman, so the decision was to train the swimming and the bike and stop running to what came out.

That's what I did, it was just thinking about brands, now it was just the enjoyment of being able to do it. Many times I've been excited to reach the finish line in a test, but last year's excitement, I think I'll always remember it, even more so when my orthopedic surgeon had announced that it would possibly be my last Ironman. The chrono was bad, of course, but I still made second in my category and of course the next day I registered 2016.

Tomás: My last Ironman was the one in Nice a few weeks ago, where I was 2º in my GGEE, 70-74.

What are the next races you are going to play? And the next Ironman?

 

Montserrat: At the moment I am satisfied with doing all the Catalan 2016 triathlon circuit and in October as every season I can finish the Calella Ironman.

In previous seasons I liked to participate in the Championships of Spain of the different distances, (had been the case of becoming champion of Spain in my age group in all distances in the same season), but since in the 2014 in the Duathlon Long Distance Championship in Orihuela, I had a disappointment with the Spanish Federation and the organizers of the event, I have not participated again, I think that we veterans deserve to take us into account and not only to collect the inscriptions. At the international level it's different, I've never found myself unable to finish a competition for the "cut-off time", when they are championships by age groups they already have it in mind.

Tomás: I hope to run some Olympic triathlon around here and close the season in the IM of Alcudia in Mallorca.

Do you have any thorn or goal that you have left to fulfill?

Montserrat: Now many. Until the 2014, I always thought that when I had time I could train better, I had assumed that I would be doing more and more time, but since I would also have more years I would compensate one thing with the other.

What I did not have in mind is that an injury could occur that would prevent me from training and competing. It has been hard, even today after almost two years it is hard for me to think that I can not train the running and that I will never be able to run well again.

Tomás: As a nailed thorn I have very recent Nice, because of the stomach problems I could not perform as expected, and next year I'll put Kona ahead. Despite the hardness of Nice, I have gotten very inside and I want to get back this thorn. As a bigger disappointment, having to return from Kona last year, unable to participate due to health problems.

To finish What advice would you give to all the people who now practice triathlon to reach your age and continue competing in different tests, from short distance to IM?

Montserrat: I think I overcome everything with the illusion, many times I wonder how I can do an Ironman with the little training I have, with not being able to rest at night, with long working hours ... but all this is left aside when I am in full competition, then I just think how happy I am to be there.

I am one of those who think that wanting a thing is to be able to do it, it will be in more or less time but the important thing is to be able to tell it.

Tomás: As tips to get to my age in shape, I have very clear: Constancy, effort, sacrifice and care.

 

Note: At the time of qualifying Tomás and Montserrat as the oldest ironman finishers in Spain we have based on the rankings and rankings in Ironman ggee in recent years, where they have been the most veteran. It may be that in other types of triathlons there are more veteran people.