6 minute read
Ironman? No, make that Ironwoman
BY FRANCESCA PACCHIANO
Breanna Bradley didn’t know how to swim in a race when she signed up for her first triathlon. Now, she’s headed for Kona, Hawaii, to race in the Ironman World Championship on October 11, 2025. Along the way, she’s using her platform to fundraise $5,000 for the Nanaimo-based charity, the Haven Society. It was hard work over the last couple years that got her to this point. “I wasn’t a swimmer. I didn’t own a bike before signing up … and it’s a sport that’s definitely not instant gratification. Like you ought to work at running and biking and swimming to get better. It’s not just overnight.”
While she is a long-time runner, she only started racing in triathlons a few years ago. “I started training, and my sister and I decided that we would sign up for our first, just standard Olympic triathlon in June of 2023.”
Since then, she’s run a handful of triathlons, several half marathons and an Ironman last summer in Penticton. “It was five days after my thirtieth birthday. And that was kind of the reason I decided to sign up for it, as I was turning thirty and I thought, ‘Why not do something fun for your thirtieth?’”
The race did give her a qualifying time for Kona, but the swim portion was cancelled due to the water being too cold. “I feel like I have a lot to prove because I got my spot without a swim.”
The Ironman is a type of triathlon consisting of a 3.9-km swim, a 180-km bike ride, and a 42.2-km marathon. In Kona, it’s an ocean swim, followed by a ride and run across the big island’s dynamic landscape.
Even with careful training, things can unexpectedly go wrong. In June, Breanna got very sick, even having to be hospitalized for a few days. “I had something called mycoplasma pneumonia and had a severe rash all over my body. … Then I got something really weird [called] erythema nodosum, and I had these red lumps all over my shins, and so I was basically put on bedrest.”
Her recovery took a month. She spent that time wondering if she’d even make it to Kona. “When I had this huge setback, it’s kind of like [I had] put all this work in and I’m thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I did this for nothing if I can’t race.’”
But instead of listening to the doubt, she trusted her ability to recover and continued with the training she could do. “I went to the pool and I swam. I couldn’t really use my legs, so I used the little buoy that goes in between your legs, and I just used my arms, because for me not doing any activity is just impossible.”
When she’s not training, Breanna works as an elementary school teacher in Ladysmith. She’s hoping to inspire the kids in her class. “I just really wanna show kids that with hard work and dedication … anything is possible.”
After her health setback, she began a 12-week training plan to get back to a place where she could compete. Now she’s up to 20 hours of training a week. She’s training before and after school, as well as on the weekends. The amount of time that goes into preparing for a race like this is hard on relationships, but she said her husband, Jim, has been incredibly supportive of her. “He’s just been so understanding about it and been my number-one cheerleader.”
Community support is a big part of Breanna’s athletic journey. “Especially being new in this sport, it’s just really nice to be able to turn to some people who have done this or have … quite a bit of experience in this sport.”
She’s found connections in run clubs and among her peers, but her aunt is her mentor. “She’s a big reason why I got into running. She ran all the cool marathons, and she did three Ironmans, and I think she started in her forties. So she’s been my coach.”
One of her concerns ahead of the race is the difference in environment between Vancouver Island and Kona. The course will be challenging, but she’s been training with elevation in mind. The curve ball could be the swimming portion. “I haven’t done an ocean swim in a race. I’ve only done a freshwater swim.” But perhaps the biggest potential snag, she says, is that, “the water temperature could be too warm for me to wear my wetsuit,” which would affect her buoyancy and speed in the water.
She is going a few days ahead of the race to test the water and the terrain, but regardless of the outcome, she’s keeping an open mind. “This is only gonna be my second full-distance Ironman. Whereas some people that are going, they’ve been in this world for a decade, and so it’s still definitely very much a learning experience for me.”
The Haven House connection came through her desire to share her platform with an organization that is making a difference in the Nanaimo community. “I’m going to an all-women’s race. The best women are competing at this high level, and then you have Haven Society and their whole mission is empowering women.”
The society’s mission, which is to provide shelter and programs for women and families who have experienced abuse, is also close to Breanna’s heart as a teacher. “I work with kids and families. I know how important it is for families to feel safe.”
She asks that anyone able to donate to the Haven Society consider doing so. “We all greatly appreciate it.” She also hopes that anyone who wants to watch will tune in on October 11 to the Ironman tracking app or Ironman World. “If you’re contemplating starting your running journey or your biking journey or your swimming journey – or whatever it may be – just go for it".
