VAFA BOARD MEMBER TO HIT WORLD STAGE

The VAFA community sends their congratulations to VAFA Board Member Davina Connors-Calhaem for her efforts last week to win the Ironman Australian Age Group Championship in Port Macquarie, NSW. 
A win in the 70.3 Ironman Australian Age Group Championships gives the opportunity to travel to Salzberg, Austria to compete in the World Age Group Ironman on 29 August 2015.  the in Port McQuarrie. 
Davina is starting to collect a few big prizes as she is also the recent winner of the Victorian Duathlon Championships (Run-Bike-Run). Her goal is to qualify for the Hawaiian Ironman in October next year via the Melbourne Ironman on 22 March 2015.   
The event in Port Macquarie was a professional and amateur age group event that is made up of a 1.9km swim in the sea, a 90km ride on the bike and a half marathon being a 21.1km run. 
The conditions were tough, windy, whilst the roads used for the course were not in great shape either with the course also particularly hilly. 
Davina was confident at the start of the race in the 45 – 49 women’s division and her confidence was justified. After the swim, she was 2nd out of the water in 29mins24. During the ride, Davina passed the 1st placed swimmer but was overtaken by the 3rd competitor and was 2nd at the end of the ride leg. However, it was during the run that she made her move. Davina powered to the lead at the 3km mark of the run and then stormed away for a win of over 8 minutes or 1.7km over the second place getter in 5 hours 20 minutes and 18 seconds.  
Connors-Calhaem was gracious in victory, “It was a great thrill to win a really tough race. I am excited by the prospect of going to Austria next year, although, if I managed to qualify for Hawaii then I will have a tough decision to make” she said. 
The entire VAFA community congratulates Davina and wishes her well for her dreams of world championship glory for Australia in Austria next year.