FOCUS ON...
HAMISH GOODWIN

Look him up on Google and you'll find that Hamish Goodwin, 50, is a keen sportsman and hard core competitor.

'I only started running when I was 30, he says, then I found out that I was quite good at cross-country running. It's the buzz of finishing in the first 3 or 4 that really motivates me.'

Completely self-trained, Hamish started preparing for the Speights Coast to Coast five months before the event:
'But that's only because I'm always training,' he warns. 'For the first few months I do 10 hours a week, going up to 20 hours one month before the big day.'

His dedication paid off big time this year, with a category win on his 13th participation.
'My family helped a lot. Their support before and during the event made all the difference.'

Plagued by a calf injury, Hamish was not sure he would be able to compete up to a co uple of weeks before the race.

'My body came out of balance in a rugby incident years ago and it never came right. All my injuries always happen on the same side nowadays. Focus Health has helped with a lot of my problems. Gay [Focus Health Director] is my main therapist. I like the way she approaches problems with an open mind. She'll try different treatments until something works, rather than try and make you fit into a box. As an athlete specialist, she's also invaluable on a mental level.'

His advice to future competitors:
'Be specific about the skills you need for the race you have in mind, talk to people who have done it before you. Develop the technical skills first, refine them and then keep working at them. Don't be afraid to put the hours in.' 

 Like with all multi-sport events, every aspect of the race is important:
'I reckon I gained about five minutes on my closest opponent just by going through my transitions quickly, and I only won by 2.6 minutes,' remarks Hamish.

His 13th attempt may have been the last but we're not finished seeing his name in competition results. Only two weeks after his Coast-to-Coast victory, Hamish came 2nd in the Kaweka Challenge. Some men just don't quit.

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