We are one week away from by far, my absolute favourite event here in Augusta: the Ironman triathlon.
For the past two years I have photographed the event, simply out of curiosity and the love of watching others push their bodies to a breaking point (be it mental, physical, or both). Since childhood I have been fascinated by the photography of sporting events and the participants, my wall being covered floor to ceiling in clipped photos from my father's Sports Illustrated (much to his chagrin). Every photo told a story set within the parameters of the type of sport and it’s venue, and I loved trying to work out that story in my head when staring at the walls. The stories that were told in observing what was happening to their bodies in these events: the blood, sweat, muscle, bone, and tendons evident were for lack of a better word, crazy.
While present at an event, the speed with which the action happens allows your eyes and brain to only process so much; but the photographer was able to capture that one singular moment. And in that one moment, there is so often a story waiting to be told in that athlete’s eyes, muscles, and overall body language (not to mention the other participants or onlookers who completed the story).
So if you are not doing anything in Augusta next Sunday morning, take a trip downtown and cheer on some amazing men and women who are pushing their bodies to reach new levels. It truly is an awesome thing to be a part of.
Below are a few of my favourite images over the last two years. There are only 15; the other 840 will have to wait on the hard drive. They may not be on a wall (much to my wife’s delight), but they do make a nice 45-minute slideshow. And just think: in one week I get to add 4 to 5 hundred more.
