Amy Farrell, a physical education teacher at Madill Elementary, will compete in the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Marbella, Spain on Saturday, Nov. 8.
Students gave Farrell a spirited send-off Tuesday afternoon, presenting handmade signs and well wishes as she rode the rickshaw tricycle through the hallways.
“It’s so cool because some kids have already done some research and are planning to track my race on Saturday,” Farrell said. “They’ll be able to see me on the run or once I’m finished. And having my cross country and track and field teams see me compete on the world stage is exciting. It gets the wheels turning for them.”
Farrell qualified for the championship by placing first in the 45-49 age group at IRONMAN Florida 70.3 last December. A first-place finish guarantees a spot in the world championship.
She has competed in triathlons since 2000 and has raced in multiple IRONMAN 70.3 World Championships. Her first was in Clearwater, Florida, with her daughter, mother, sister and niece cheering her on. In 2014, she won her age group in Kona, Hawaii. Farrell has reached the podium every time she’s competed in the 70.3 World Championships.
In addition to IRONMAN 70.3 events, Farrell has completed 14 full IRONMAN races, winning her age group at IRONMAN Lake Placid in 2015 and 2017.
“It’s nice to feel supported by the community I grew up in and became an athlete in,” she said. I love it. It’s a big full-circle moment.”
To learn more about Farrell, watch her 2020 interview with Hoka:
Track the race
To follow Farrell’s progress on race day, download the IRONMAN Tracker app:
https://www.ironman.com/resources/athlete-tracker-app
An IRONMAN 70.3 includes a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run. A full IRONMAN doubles those distances.