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315th AW pilot to compete in 2010 Ford Ironman World Championship

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Shane Ellis
  • 315th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. --  Capt. Jamie Turner, a C-17 Globemaster III pilot with the 317th Airlift Squadron here, is scheduled to compete in the Ford Ironman World Championship Oct. 9 in Kona, Hawaii.

Captain Turner qualified for the event with a second place finish in her age group at the Florida Ironman in Panama City, Fla., and she was later selected to represent the U.S. Air Force at the championship race.

Tens-of-thousands of triathletes compete each year for one of only 1,800 coveted spots. Earning a spot at this level means Captain Turner will be competing with the best triathletes in the world as they complete 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of biking, and a 26.2-mile marathon run through tough ocean waves and challenging lava-covered terrain.

"It's a dream come true," said CaptainTurner. "I was on a little swim team during fourth and fifth grade, but I never did anything with swimming after that. When I was in high school, just to run a mile was difficult for me. And to top things off, I even failed my first PT test at the academy. I never dreamed that I would be competing with the world's best triathletes and representing the USAF at the same time."

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