The Ironman Challenge recently took place in Hawaii. There were two participants representing Aruba, one of whom is Amadée Nicolaas and she managed to bring back a medal.
Upon her arrival, we managed to speak with her and asked her about her experience. She said she is happy to be back in Aruba after a long flight, albeit a bit tired but happy nonetheless. She said Hawaii was very hot, very windy, and that the races were very difficult. She managed to complete it in thirteen hours.
She swam 3.8 kilometers, rode her bicycle for 180 kilometers. and then ran 42.2 kilometers. The results were not as Nicolaas had hoped, but she is still happy that she participated. She blames a recent health issue for the setback in her training and preparation for the event.
Nicolaas’s uncle, Karel Williams accompanied her to Hawaii and told us that her dedication gave him goosebumps. Those were thirteen difficult hours, and Karel was cheering her on from the sidelines the entire time. From the moment they left at 2:00 until late in the night when she finished.
He is very proud of his niece’s performance. After the competition, she recuperated in bed for nearly 2 days. Aruba now has an ‘Ironwoman’.
The athlete covered a majority of the costs herself and while they were very high, it’s the results that matter. Seeing Aruba’s flag up there with the nearly 2000 others, is priceless.
