Five ‘Ironman' titles under his belt, but Sam is game for more

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: At his workplace, this unassuming 42-year-old may pass off as just another corporate employee stuck in the rut of a 'nine to six' job. However, not many would know that Suresh Sam Chandy is actually a five-time winner of the coveted 'Ironman' title, considered the benchmark of endurance and fitness.
Sam recorded his latest win at the South America edition of the Ironman triathlon held at Florianopolis in Brazil earlier this month. The Thiruvananthapuram native has now set his eyes on Ironman's Africa edition, his final step in his quest to clinch the title from all six continents where the triathlon is held.
Organised by the World Triathlon Corporation, the Ironman race requires participants to complete a 3.8 km swim, a 180.2 km-long bicycle ride and a 42.2 km run on the trot within 17 hours. Besides South America, Sam has won Ironman titles in Europe, Asia, North America, and Australia (Oceania). Notably, the last three titles were won in an unbelievably short span of 58 days.
'In the Ironman South America edition, the most gruelling part was cycling. I do not use an aero-bar on my bike unlike other participants who rely on it to reduce drag and improve aerodynamics. The strong and icy headwinds and cross winds caught me unawares. Still, I was able to cover 180 km within eight hours,' Sam told TNIE.
Sam, who finished his latest race with an overall time of 15:56 hours, believes his rigorous training during the past one-and-a-half years after winning in Australia helped him a lot.
'Ensuring proper fitness in between my regular job is very tough and demanding. However it's a small price to pay to win the coveted title each time,' said Sam, a US-certified public accountant with EY.

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