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LE — 112.1 Local woman qualifies to N-206. compete in the gruelling Hawaii Ironman Triathlon Bie Brandi’s Quest She's been hit by an SUV. She has suffered five stress fractures. And she only takes one day off a week. But triathlete Brandi Wonnacott never gives up. Her dedication to training over the past three years has paid off. With many wins in her age class to her credit, she’s enthusiastically training for the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii on October 13, 2012. “It’s a dream come true.” Wonnacott said. Pursuing that dream takes a lot of dedication. You may see her practicing the front crawl in Oshawa pools, or braving the fish, weeds and other debris in Lake Simcoe or Chalk Lake. That's her running on the track at 4 a.m. at Fa- ther Leo School in Whitby, or on the Lakeshore in downtown Toronto, where she works full time as a Project Coordinator for an accounting firm. She may be spotted biking around Os- hawa or up to Pefferlaw. The petite 29-year-old, 5’ 3” 110 Ib. powerhouse spends up to 20 hours a week honing her triathlon skills. “T like to keep busy,” Brandi said. What an understatement. “I’m not one to sit around watching TV. I have a lot of energy and drive.” It could be genetic. Her mother is Anna Forder, a Canadian Pairs Figure Skating cham- Finishing a triathlon is a major accomplishment - many competitors drop out along the way due to fatigue or injuries pion who competed in the Olympics in 1968. She still coaches skating in Oshawa. At age two, little Brandi laced up and hit native, Brandi Wonnacott, who now makes her home in Whitby, the ice for the first time. But she admits to not is taking part in the World Championship “Hawaii Ironman Triathlon” October inheriting her mother’s talent as a skater. At age 13 in Kona. Photo by J. Peter Hvidsten Please turn to page 18 FOCUS - OCTOBER 2012 17 10.FOCUS, OCTOBER. 40 pages.indd 17 12-09-24 9:11 AM