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Inter-service rivalry: Air Force claims Ironman military division

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Mike Meares
  • 15th Wing Public Affairs
KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii --  A pair of pilots pushed the envelope of mental and physical toughness to claim the military division of the 2010 Ironman World Championships Oct. 9 on a grueling 140.6-mile triathlon across the Big Island of Hawai'i.

The Air Force team of Maj. Scott Poteet and Capt. Jamie Turner posted a combined time of 20:27:36 to claim this year's top honors among four male-female teams from the other services by more than a full hour over second place Army. The team wore Air Force blue as they swam 2.4 miles, biked 112 miles and ran 26.2 miles consecutively en route to victory.

Major Poteet, a former U.S. Air Force Thunderbird F-16 pilot, and Captain Turner, a Reserve C-17 pilot at Joint Base Charleston, S.C., were two of nine servicemembers hand-picked from among their ranks to take physical fitness to new lengths in a race dubbed, "ke alahele o ke koa," -- a Hawaiian phrase meaning, "The Way of the Warrior." The military competitors joined nearly 1,800 other endurance athletes representing more than 45 countries and almost all 50 states during the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona.

"I think Ironman is one of the greatest displays of what the Armed Forces is about," said U.S. Navy Capt. Scott Jones, a two-time Ironman military division champion who posted an individual time of 9:46:00. "It's about discipline. It's about being extraordinary when called upon to be extraordinary. When it gets hard, you get harder. The military embodies the ethos this race is built upon."

The military division winner is awarded based on the combined lowest time of the male and female representatives of their service. There is also an overall male and an overall female winner. The trophy is handed down from year to year with the names of top competitors and their service engraved on each side.

The prospect of getting their names engraved, representing and winning for the Air Force is an honor neither of the Air Force pilots takes lightly.

"I have a whole different reason to race besides myself," Captain Turner said before she began. "Everything I do during that race represents the Air Force. I'm not going to have people yelling my name; they will be yelling 'Go Air Force!'"

The servicemembers faced environmental as well as endurance challenges at the Mecca of triathlons.

They started their day with a 2.4-mile swim in the choppy salt waters of Kona Bay. They climbed from its depths to complete a 112-mile bike ride through the heat-emitting lava fields along the Kona and Kohala coastlines. The final 26.2-mile marathon followed the same path as the bike ride, the Queen Ka'ahumanu Highway.

"This is a very unforgiving environment, especially once you get out on the highway. There's no hiding from the elements," Major Poteet said. "One of the biggest challenges is the sun and unforgiving heat radiating off the lava fields."

Major Poteet, a member of the cadre at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., finished the course in 9:39:05, placing second individually to the U.S. Army's Capt. Robert Killian, from U.S. Army Forces Command, Colo., who finished at 9:30:50. Captain Killian's partner for the second place team finish was Capt. Erica Chabalko, who is currently attending Baylor University in Waco, Texas. Captain Chabalko, who posted a time of 11:50:49, used the opportunity of her Ironman Florida experience to raise money for the Wounded Warrior program while deployed to Iraq.

"It was really cool to come back from Iraq and give back in that aspect and also train to do something for myself at the same time" Captain Chabalko said.

During the race, Captain Turner battled though cramps and nausea to post the best overall women's time of 10:48:31 in the military division. The Air Force combined scored was faster than any other two-person team, earning them the top spot for the Air Force.
Based on his motivation and team goals set with Captain Turner, Major Poteet was able to run the entire marathon without walking. He said competition against the other services added an extra dimension to an already difficult situation.

"It's a little more challenging, but it's more meaningful in my mind," Major Poteet said. "It makes it that much more meaningful to represent the men and women in the Armed Forces. You work so hard for this race," he said. "The fact that we were all together during an event that takes 10-hours really puts the pressure on."

Representing the Navy are two-time Armed Forces Ironman champion Capt. Scott Jones, from Boulder, Colo., and Cmdr. Kristin Barnes, of Virginia Beach, Va. Commander Barnes posted at time of 11:44:45 on race day, claiming the third spot in the women's military division. Captain Jones has competed in 11 Ironman events around the world since his first event at the age of 36. This was his fifth trip to the world championships, including winning last year's military division.

"The Ironman pulls the extraordinary out of the ordinary," Captain Jones said. "I personally like seeing the extraordinary...You can demand great things from yourself."
Representing the U.S. Coast Guard team were Command Master Chief Michael Ferreira, from the 14th District, Hawaii, and Lt. Rachel Beckmann, from the University of Oregon, Eugene, Ore. Lieutenant Beckmann crossed the line in 11:31:37, claiming the second spot.

Master Chief Ferreira, finishing in 10:10:33, agreed this race is extraordinary and takes patience to tackle. "The Ironman is a test of wills," he said. "It's more of a mental race then a physical one."

The lone representative for the Marine Corps was Lt. Col. Hunter Hobson, stationed at the Pentagon. Colonel Hobson crossed the finish line in 10:40:54.
These individuals are part of a fraternity that call themselves "Ironman," a fraternity that started with a debate among military men and women trying to determine who the top endurance athlete was in 1977.

The military competitors relished in the magnitude of the event that began among their ranks more than 30 years ago. In the final turn, people lined the streets, recognizing each military competitor's logos on their uniforms and cheered for their service.
After the last turn onto Ali'i Drive, the cheers from a wall of people lining the pathway were deafening. People reached their hands in to congratulate and cheer for every runner only yards from finishing the 140.6-mile journey.

"Ali'i Drive is the most famous road I know," Major Poteet said. "It is just lined three or four deep with fans cheering loud as can be. Zig zagging along the sea wall you turn a corner and see the finish line to the Ironman World Championships. Mike Reilly, the voice of Ironman, is cheering you on and announces your name. As soon as you cross that line it's, 'Scott Poteet, you are an Ironman!'"