Taupō triathlete Kirsty Parsons and her brother Duncan Parsons during the Ironman New Zealand race in Taupō on Saturday.
Photo / Sophie Parsons
Taupō triathlete Kirsty Parsons and her brother Duncan Parsons during the Ironman New Zealand race in Taupō on Saturday.
Photo / Sophie Parsons
Taupō triathlete Kirsty Parsons has been “on cloud nine” after becoming the first known New Zealander with cystic fibrosis to complete an Ironman.
The 32-year-old crossed the finish line of Ironman Taupō in just under 15 hours on Saturday, conquering the 3.8km swim, 180km cycle and 42.2km marathon run.
Parsonstold the Rotorua Daily Post the enormity of her achievement “hasn’t sunk in”, but she was “on cloud nine” and “pretty ecstatic”.
Cystic fibrosis is a condition that produces thick and sticky mucus and mainly affects the lungs and digestive system.
There is no cure for the condition, which affects about 500 New Zealanders, but Trikafta medication treats its underlying cause and makes it more manageable.
Parsons has been taking the drug since 2018 and said it changed her life “drastically”, enabling her to prepare for the endurance race.
Before the medication, she was frequently hospitalised, struggled to walk to and from the supermarket, and spent the first half hour of every morning “coughing non-stop”.
Competing in Ironman
Parsons said she started the swim at 8am and finished the Ironman just before 11pm.
“A big day but I think for the athletes, it goes relatively fast. I think the spectators almost have a harder day,” she said with a laugh.
“Honestly, it actually all went way better than what I could have hoped.
“I was pretty nervous about the swim. Obviously, you know, you’ve got nerves because you’re just waiting for the day to start but the swim can be quite challenging mentally, just with so many people in the water and it’s such a long swim.”
Parsons said she was fortunate her brother, Duncan Parsons, was also participating and swam with her.
“That was like a really special way to start the day.”
Parsons said aid stations were set up throughout the bike and run courses, and she carried as much nutrition as possible with her.
Taupō woman Kirsty Parsons has become the first New Zealander with cystic fibrosis to complete an Ironman.
Photo / Sophie Parsons
She said athletes tried not to stop moving, so volunteers at the aid stations would hand them items as they ran or biked past.
After crossing the finish line, Parsons said she celebrated with her big group of supporters, sharing “big hugs and a few tears”.
“And then Sunday morning we had a big brunch and barbecue to keep the celebrations going as well.”
Parsons trained for nine months and gave a shout-out to her coach Mike “Bushy” Bush.
Kirsty Parsons trained for nine months for the Ironman New Zealand in Taupō on March 7. Photo / Grace Lowry
While she was proud of herself for completing Ironman, she said she was also proud of her family and friends who supported her through “the highs and the lows of cystic fibrosis“ and CFNZ for helping to get Trikafta funded in New Zealand.
Parsons lived in England when she started taking the drug, but Pharmac has funded Trikafta for people aged 6 and up in New Zealand since 2023, with this set to be extended to children aged 2 to 5 from April 1.
“It’s such a cool moment for the whole CF community, especially for young kids and their families … hopefully this means the future’s pretty bright for them."
Asked if she would do another Ironman, Parsons said: “I’m not saying no, I think I just want to enjoy this and savour this moment.
“I definitely want to keep that option open in the future.”
In a CFNZ statement, executive lead Simone Brown congratulated Parsons on her historic and “extraordinary” achievement.
