Tom Lee is one half of drum and bass duo Lee Mvtthews and will tackle his first Ironman in Taupō on Saturday. Photo / Supplied
One half of Kiwi drum and bass duo Lee Mvtthews will step into a world far removed from late‑night sets and festival crowds when he takes on his first-ever Ironman at the Anzco Foods Ironman New Zealand in Taupō.
At 33, Christchurch-based musician Tom Lee and his musical partner Graham Matthews have spent the better part of the past decade performing at some of Aotearoa’s biggest music events, from Rhythm & Vines to Homegrown and Electric Avenue.
Their world is one of high tempo, high energy, and relentless travel – a rhythm that would seem incompatible with structured Ironman training. But for Lee, fitness has evolved into a powerful counterbalance to the demands of life behind the decks.
“In our industry, being into fitness is almost the polar opposite of what most people do,” Lee said.
“I use fitness to bring balance to the DJ and rave lifestyle, and in doing so I want to inspire others within our industry and fans alike that you can do both.”
Having completed marathons and rediscovered his love of swimming, Lee found himself in the ideal environment to push further after returning to live with his family in rural North Canterbury.
“I’d always had my eye on an Ironman and after completing a few marathons, I felt I just wanted to take things further,” he said.
“I’d swum a lot as a kid and had just recently moved back to Christchurch with my parents. My dad is an avid cyclist, and we live in rural North Canterbury, so there’s basically no better environment to learn how to ride. Once I saw all three disciplines start to come together, the next logical step for me was signing up for an Ironman.”
Balancing the regimented demands of Ironman training with the unpredictable realities of touring has been one of Lee’s biggest challenges. Weekends often involve flights, late nights and limited sleep, yet he’s found ways to make the two worlds coexist. By leaning on discipline, flexibility, and a willingness to train wherever he finds himself, he’s built a routine that works, even when the schedule doesn’t.
“I think discipline is something that comes into play here pretty strongly, if you’ve been travelling all weekend, the last thing you feel like doing sometimes is a long run and or ride. But the training needs to be done, and so I’d have to drag myself out and put the time in. I know now when I stand on the start line, I won’t regret the hard yards put in.”
Outside of the personal challenge, Lee hopes his journey can spark a shift in mindset among artists, crew, and fans – particularly younger people navigating fitness messages influenced heavily by social media.
He wants to show that perfection isn’t a prerequisite, and that progress can happen even in imperfect circumstances.
“It doesn’t have to look perfect, you don’t have to hit every session, you just have to show up more often than not,” he said. “Consistency beats perfection, so just get out there, give it a crack, and don’t be so hard on yourself.”
Despite the many hours of preparation, the road to Taupō hasn’t been smooth. The bike has thrown up the steepest learning curve, from incorrect setups to ongoing tweaks that tested his patience and resilience. Still, Lee persisted, knowing that race day demands commitment regardless of the obstacles.
“I’ve had a poor fit, my seat has been wrong, my cleats have been set incorrectly – the bike has been the biggest unknown,” said Lee. “I guess what gets me through it is at the end of the day the race doesn’t care about all that, it wants the distance paid in full.”
With race day now in sight, the emotional weight of what he’s about to take on is starting to settle in. Lee is motivated by the thought of crossing the finish line – a moment he already imagines will feel even more powerful than the first marathon that once moved him to tears. But he’s also honest about the nerves, especially as he prepares to enter the water on race morning.
“I think I’m most excited about crossing the finish line. While training, I think about that moment coming to pass and it nearly makes me tear up just thinking about it,” he said. “And to be honest, I’m scared of overdoing the swim, I just feel it will be easy for the day to just swallow me up and I go out too hard.”
-Content supplied by Ironman New Zealand