Zachary Josie has already conquered the biggest challenge of his life so far – putting his latest one in perspective.
The talented age-grouper aims to become the first triathlete with dwarfism to break the sub-10 barrier for a full-distance race at Challenge Roth this weekend.
But Josie, who was born with Ellis Van Creveld Syndrome and is around five feet tall, says he has already overcome bigger challenges and that this one is just the latest of many.
“Within my grasp”
He told TRI247: “I had a decade in my 20s of feeling sorry for myself and, for a lack of a better word, hating my ‘different’ body type. Getting over that was almost more difficult than getting past the actual difficulties I face in triathlon.
“I have different equipment requirements to race. Cycling and finding a bike is definitely the main storyline of my challenges in triathlon. Frame size/shape, crank length, saddle comfort and any other components you can imagine had to be done slightly different with my circumstances.
“But the triathlon community is so incredible and the companies associated with triathlon are so willing to help. They almost seem inspired to take on the challenges of helping every type of body perform at their best.
“My prep for the race has been pretty smooth. I’ve definitely had a few questionable workouts, but that’s always expected in a big training block.
“If I can hit the paces and power I’ve been practicing then sub-10 is definitely in my grasp. The biggest question now is if my body will hold up long enough to run at my potential.”
“I get stares and comments”
Josie admits his size and body shape are so unusual that people sometimes stare, and he often gets less than flattering comments made about him, especially online.
But while he has embraced the #FastestDwarfOnEarth hashtag as a way of making light of some of the more abusive messages he receives, he insists the triathlon community has largely been very welcoming.
He told TRI247: “I get comments from faceless Instagram accounts all the time, especially in wetsuit pictures (my extreme measurements are very pronounced in my wetsuit). I never let that bother me.
“I also get stares and comments in my daily life. However, I can only think of one situation in 10 years of racing triathlon where someone intentionally said something mean about me and I ended up beating him by more than an hour at an Olympic distance race.”
Iconic race
When he announced his sub-10 challenge back in January, Josie admitted he would have to shave a whopping 3.5 hours off his personal best time for a full distance triathlon to achieve his aim.
But despite regularly waking up at 3am to train before going to work for his Dad’s construction company, he feels he has a shot – and that even if he fails, his effort could inspire others.
He said: “Last year, when I lucked into a spot in the iconic race that is Challenge Roth, I wanted to try to do my part for the dwarfism community by representing it on such a big stage, with a huge goal.
“When I set big goals like this, even if I don’t quite achieve the results I’m looking for, I am still able to go beyond previous achievements. The pressure of the goal helps get the best out of myself.
Inspiring others
“Achieving a sub-10 started as a goal, mostly to light a fire and get the best out of myself, with a small hope of possibly inspiring at least one person (especially if they’re like me) to participate in triathlon.
“While I don’t think of myself as THE endurance sport spokesperson for dwarfism and/or EVC, I understand that by being one of the few who compete in long distance triathlon, I can at least be a representative for the community.
“I hope that by making such an audacious goal, I can help someone get over their self doubt and push themselves to new levels. It’s definitely something I desperately needed in my 20s (my ‘I feel sorry for myself’ era).”
“I will definitely keep trying”
Challenge Roth isn’t a one-shot deal for Josie either because he plans to keep trying until he does achieve his sub-10 goal – and even has an ambitious eye on one day competing at Kona.
He said: “I will definitely keep trying. I already have some backup plans if Roth doesn’t go exactly how I plan.
“As far as my next goals and long term goals. I hope to one day race in Kona, ideally – though unrealistically – by qualifying in my age group. I’d also like to qualify for another 70.3 World Championship especially if the rumours of St George hosting it one more time are true.
“Ultimately my goal is to be able to help future athletes like me get into sport. It has definitely been a process to navigate equipment and apparel and I hope to be able to create some sort of space where I can advise and even work with brands to make the process of racing triathlon with disabilities, even more specifically dwarfism, a little more accessible.”
Zachary become the first person with skeletal dysplasia/dwarfism to go under five hours at middle distance at IRONMAN 70.3 Maine and we wish him all the best with his full-distance attempt at Roth on Sunday.
