On the morning of June 12, around 2,000 athletes gathered off the coast of the US’ infamous Alcatraz Island for the yearly Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon; among the crowd were two Shenzhen high school students.
Zeng Haojun (17), nicknamed ‘Watermelon,’ ended up winning third place in his division, making history as the first Chinese high school student to receive a prize at the famously challenging event. Zeng’s friend He Zhongwei (19), who had sat through his gaokao just days earlier, didn’t do too poorly either, placing seventh in the same division.
To make it, both had to go through a grueling course: 2.4 km of freezing seawater, followed by a 29 kilometer bike ride and 14 kilometers of running.
Triathletes take the plunge at the start of the race
The young men had been preparing for the triathlon for over a year before finally being able to participate. They had first joined an Iron Man club in Shenzhen the previous March with the goal of going to Alcatraz in mind. Training hard, they were able to place first and second at a qualifying Iron Man Marathon in Beijing, thus qualifying for the competition in June.
They arrived together in San Francisco two days before the Escape to Alcatraz event, the pair’s first trip outside the country. On their first night away from home, they could see Alcatraz from the balcony outside their hotel room.
Alcatraz Island at dawn
Less than 48 hours later, they were waiting with the other contestants on a boat stationed off the coast of the island, which for almost 30 years housed a federal prison. For Zeng and He, however, making it through the marathon was first on their minds.
The first leg of the triathlon was not only difficult because of the 10-degrees-Celsius water, but also the lack of markers in the water. Swimmers had to be careful not to drift off course, which is exactly what happened to Zeng.
He Zhongwei, on the other hand, was swept away by a current. Luckily, both were able to reach the shore without too many mishaps.
Some swimmers wade towards the shore during the triathlon
Zeng powered through the biking portion, his forte, but both agreed that the last leg was the hardest. For He, who had gotten a cramp in his leg while swimming, climbing the final “sand ladder” portion was a nightmare.
Nevertheless, they both made it, with Zeng clocking in at 3 hours, 14 minutes, and He at 3 hours, 51 minutes.
Before the challenging race, Zeng had comforted himself with the thought that even if he didn’t complete it, he’d be okay. Third prize was a surprising, highly encouraging sign for the high school sophomore who plans on being a professional biker in the future.
He Zhongwei was happy for his friend’s success. According to him, training for triathlons had been a highlight for him during a stressful senior year. After the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon, he posted the following message on his WeChat moments:
“On the path forward there will be wind behind and against you, there will be people supporting you and also people ridiculing you; frustration and falling are definitely essential, and what we should do is be our truest selves.”
Both students are planning to participate in an Iron Man Triathlon in Xiamen this fall.
[Images via SZ News, Instagram h/t Escape from Alcatraz, Wikimedia]
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