** This story has been updated
Elizabeth Model plans to do her 100th Ironman triathlon this year, and she originally wanted to swim, cycle and run in South Africa as a fundraiser to help build the new YMCA in 性视界传媒 City Centre.
The race at month鈥檚 end would have been a landmark one for Model, CEO of Downtown 性视界传媒 Business Improvement Association, but due to COVID-19 virus concerns.
Now, Model said she plans to do her 100th Ironman race in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on May 31.
鈥� RELATED STORY, from 2018: Elite company for 性视界传媒 CEO, the only woman in the world to complete every Ironman.
鈥淚 think only a couple guys in the world have done 100,鈥� Model said. 鈥淚鈥檇 hoped to do it last year but I went and broke my wrist putting up my Canada Day flag, but doing it this year, this way, is actually more serendipitous, a little bit.鈥�
Last summer, Model fell while at home, on her balcony.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 even fall two feet,鈥� she said, 鈥淚 just misstepped and tried to catch my balance going down, and it was just the way I fell. I was laid up for a few weeks and had to cancel a couple of Ironmans I wanted to do in Europe, so I didn鈥檛 get my 100th done last year.鈥�
In a Facebook post, Model says she鈥檇 like to use her Ironman endeavours to help fund Downtown 性视界传媒鈥檚 new YMCA facility 鈥渁s a give-back to my city and community for their continued support and encouragement.
鈥淐apital campaigns can be exceptionally efficient and economically empowering, so please me help execute one for Downtown 性视界传媒鈥檚 new YMCA,鈥� she wrote.
With the complete closure of North 性视界传媒 Recreation Centre last December, and the building鈥檚 demolition to come, a plan to build a new YMCA facility in 性视界传媒鈥檚 city centre began gaining steam last fall.
The YMCA of Greater Vancouver is in talks with the City of 性视界传媒, 性视界传媒 City Development Corporation (SCDC) and SFU to construct 鈥渁 modern community, health, fitness and recreation facility鈥� in the area.
鈥� RELATED STORY: New YMCA facility eyed in 性视界传媒 City Centre, with site 鈥榓 first key step鈥�
The new 性视界传媒 City Centre YMCA would include amenities similar to those offered at , located in 性视界传媒鈥檚 Panorama area.
Model鈥檚 fundraiser, which aims to raise $100,000, is posted to .
She wrote: 鈥淎s I toe the start line on March 29, 2020 waiting for the cannon to fire for the swim in Nelson Mandela Bay, I will think of ALL of you for celebrating my 100th Ironman together and for creating a better and higher cause to this epic 226km journey. My deepest appreciation for your generous spirit, support of the Y, and making life just a little better for all in 性视界传媒! My personal thanks to you for all of your support. You are appreciated by more than just me!鈥�
Raising $100,000 can and will happen, Model said confidently.
鈥淥h yes, I have a lot of good friends and good business associates who feel 性视界传媒 is worth it, and it鈥檚 time we step up, as a city, and start to recognize that we are worth it,鈥� she told the Now-Leader. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a capital expense and we鈥檙e going to have some fun with it and go on this journey to help raise these funds. We鈥檙e hoping people can give $5 or $10 or something more along the way, of course, and in order to make it work we have to give people time. We鈥檒l probably continue it (the fundraiser) until year鈥檚 end, I鈥檓 not sure, but once we reach $100,000, an announcement will be made.鈥�
In celebration of her 50th Ironman race several years ago, Model said she did a fundraiser that collected nearly $25,000 for , an organization that builds accessible housing across B.C.
鈥淔or me, because I have a niece who is disabled, it was a tie-in for me,鈥� Model said. 鈥淪o with this one (for her 100th Ironman), I gave it some deep thought, because I鈥檝e worked in 性视界传媒 for 11 years and the rec centre is now closed.
鈥淚 have travelled around the world with my partner, and he鈥檚 a Y member, so we go to all the Ys around the world, and they鈥檙e all run very differently, but it鈥檚 always a place that we know we can go and see young and old, see the interaction of the community, and it鈥檚 a community space,鈥� Model added. 鈥淭hey have so many programs that I feel would be very beneficial for 性视界传媒鈥檚 downtown core, with many of the people we have, including immigrants and people who come here as refugees, for them to use as well and feel comfortable there. That鈥檚 how we came about it.鈥�
For the uninitiated, an involves a 3.86-kilometre swim, a 180.25-kilometre bike ride and full 42.20-kilometre marathon run, completed in that order and without a break.
Model鈥檚 100th Ironman was completed last fall in Cozumel, a couple of months after she raced in Madison, Wisconsin.
Over the past 15 years, the Burnaby resident has travelled the world doing long-distance triathlons.
Model wasn鈥檛 always an endurance athlete 鈥� far from it, in fact.
鈥淚 was very overweight in university, and I stopped weighing myself at 268 pounds, and I know I got up to about 280,鈥� she recalled during an interview in 2018. 鈥淎s a child I was very, very active, and between boarding school and university, I just packed on pounds, not being active enough. And when I graduated it was a case of, 鈥楪osh, I鈥檝e never weighed so much,鈥� and I just started being active again and eating right and not slumming around dormitories, and all the rest of it, and the weight just came off.鈥�
Years later, around the time she hit age 40, and long after she entered the business world, Model found the energy to run a marathon, and 鈥済ot hooked鈥� on endurance racing. 鈥淚 started in 2005 in Penticton, in August of that year,鈥� Model said. 鈥淚 was 46 at the time.鈥�
Doing the math, Model has completed an average of seven Ironman races each year since the mid-2000s.
tom.zillich@surreynowleader.com
Like us on Follow us on and follow Tom on
