Standing on the edge of the stage, I knew this was it. This was the moment I had been preparing for. I pushed through 20 long weeks of grueling mental and physical training to be able to step out on stage and make it all worth it. I was 35 years old and in the last eight months I had experienced the most challenging adversity of my life.

It was a fight to the end. It was trying to keep my head on for 20 weeks. And when it was all over, I wasn’t even guaranteed a plastic trophy. The day was finally here, but I had nothing left. All my energy was gone, like it had suddenly been sapped out of me. I couldn’t even walk. The goal had been accomplished. All I had wanted to do was get to the stage. I got here. Now my body was shutting down.

I was looking up at Deano, and I said a little prayer, “Deano, just one more time, bro. Just get me over the line. I have nothing left. I have put my heart and soul into this, but I have nothing left”.