Why I raced an Ironman on a BMX

Dave Lowry (45-49 age-group) is an engineering consultant and triathlete based in Perth, Australia and is a father of four ranging in age from four to 24. Dave has completed more than 200 triathlons of all distances in the last 30 years.

This year, Dave honored his late brother, who died by suicide in August 2022, by riding a BMX bike at Ironman Western Australia to raise awareness for mental health challenges.
 
When I was 13 years old, I had a sports teacher who was into triathlon. I ended up doing my first triathlon that year, a small local sprint in Collie, Australia. That race kicked off my interest in the sport, and I’ve now done more than 200 triathlons, including two Iron-distance races, both at Ironman Western Australia – one during its inaugural year in 2004 and then this year in 2023.
 
I remember watching Mark Allen back in the day on the Kona broadcast. Remember when you couldn’t livestream a race and had to wait for the December broadcast? Watching the winter Kona special each year on TV made me intrigued to do an Ironman one day. When it was announced that there would be an Ironman in Western Australia in 2004, I knew I had to do it, and I ended up spending a year training for it and ultimately completing the race.
 
In 2005, my younger brother and I flew to Eastern Australia to spectate an Ironman. We were standing near the bike course, watching all the triathlon bikes fly by, and my brother made a cheeky comment about how it would be interesting to do an Ironman on a BMX bike, and if it would even be possible, or allowed. He made that comment nearly 17 years ago, and it was a joke that stuck in my mind as I continued to do triathlons throughout the years.

Last August, I lost my younger brother to suicide. It was a tough time for my family. During that time, I reflected on my experiences with him and the BMX bike joke replayed in my mind. I then happened upon a Mongoose-brand Supergoose bike that had been revived to look like the 1980s retro frame produced by Mongoose. I thought, ‘Here is the perfect opportunity to live that dream of doing an Ironman on a BMX bike.’
 
I purchased the Supergoose bike and began training for Ironman Western Australia to honor my brother. The whole reason behind deciding to do Ironman Western Australia on ‘the Goose’ as we referred to the BMX bike was to honor my brother and to share the message about the importance of mental health.

I wore a singlet representing the organisation RU OK?, whose goal is to remove the stigma around mental health challenges. I also fundraised for Beyond Blue, Australia’s crisis helpline, and ended up raising about $6,000 AUD.

I got the BMX back from the mechanic just two weeks before the race. I worked with a Perth-based mechanic, a guy named Aldo, to make some adjustments so I could ride 112 miles on it. We added a longer seatpost and cranks as well as adapters so I could use clip-in pedals.

To train, I rode my daughter’s too-small mountain bike on the trainer most mornings starting at 4am to prepare myself for the tiny frame of a BMX bike. On race day, I could only carry one water bottle at a time on the frame, and wore a running belt on the bike to store my nutrition.
 
I had so much support on race day, it was amazing to have the community cheering for me. Many people shared positive comments with me as they rode past, and spectators would cheer for ‘the Goose’ as I came around each bike loop.

I ended up finishing the bike in 6 hours and 33 minutes. My entire family was at the race, and it was the first time my dad got to see one of my races – it was all very emotional.

The support on the course made me forget about my sore low back, and I crossed the finish line in 12 hours and 21 minutes.

As I came down the finishing chute, I felt comforted knowing my brother’s legacy had lived on. Finishing the race was sad in a way, but I was happy to know that the story about my brother and the message of destigmatising mental health reached so many people.

I felt like I got closure about my brother’s passing. I will truly remember this race forever.

Top image credit: Korupt Vision