McClean loses 100 pounds doing triathlons

McClean, a self employed 41-year-old, got a reality check after tipping the scale at more than 300 pounds, two and a half years ago. Since then, he has been on a mission to get smaller and healthier and signed up for Rainbow Cup in 2015, where he completed the sprint triathlon category (750m swim, 20km ride, 5km run).

While training and then competing in 2015, he lost an astonishing 100 pounds in just over six months. In his first Rainbow Cup experience he completed the event in two hours and 32 seconds (2:00:32) to finish 87th overall. Leading up to the 2017 edition, which was held on Saturday, he lost 30 pounds in three months while training. He improved on his time by more than 15 minutes, completing the annual race in 1:44:28 for 64th overall. Talking about his journey over the past two years in the Rainbow Cup McClean said, “I did it two years ago. I did it on my own, I did not have a trainer or anything. My girlfriend at the time was doing it so I did it with her. It is a very different experience now because I trained (with my club) for the last three months. Great group of people, they definitely encouraged me a lot and we got specific training on cycling, swimming, running, all the disciplines and it helped a lot.” McClean said he made the decision to lose weight because he wanted to live a long life. “I never felt unhealthy to be very honest, but I just thought I want to have longevity and I figured being at that weight is not going to help me be around here for a long time. In doing the triathlon, I realise if I keep losing weight, I will be better on climbing the hills, it will just be a lot easier so that is really the motivation.” McClean said it is possible for anyone to lose weight, and encourages those struggling with their exercising to have positive people around them. “Nothing is impossible. I would say if you have good people behind you, whether it is a nutritionist, whether it is a coach, whether it is just your friend, it does not matter.

Once somebody is behind you supporting you, anything is possible. If I could do this at 300 plus pounds when I started training for it, anyone can do it.” The Tacarigua resident said taking small steps towards your final goal is crucial. “One step at a time, don’t set ridiculous goals.

Set short team goals, achieve them and then set something else.” McClean’s journey is far from finished, as he plans to compete in a triathlon in Barbados later this year.

“I would like to lose about 40 more pounds again. I am doing the triathlon in Barbados – that is my intention. That is in October, so I am hoping I could get down close to that weight by that point.”