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Ironman New Zealand Hall of Fame member James Udy is recovering after being hit by a boat mast while cycling north of Te Hana last month.
The Warkworth resident is sixth on the all-time list for most Ironman New Zealand events completed and is chasing the number one spot.
Udy says it was a freak accident and he is lucky to be alive.
“I was training on my bike on State Highway 1 a month ago when a mast came off a boat as it travelled past at 80kmph, knocking me off my bike,” Udy says.
“I was thrown to the ground, while the bike got dragged 200 metres up the road. Ten minutes later, two cars and a motorbike crashed where my bike had landed.”
Udy suffered four broken ribs and a broken shoulder bone. His $7000 bike was written-off.
Despite this, he attempted the Ironman race earlier this month with a new $10,500 bike but, for the first time ever, failed to finish.
“My specialist advised me not to compete, but my GP said I could give it a go, so I did.
“I set a great time in the swim, but my riding was slow. With 15km left to go in the run, and just over two hours on the clock, I decided to give up.”
He says physically he was able to do the activities, but missing out on four weeks of training prior to the event cost him.
Udy has completed 23 Ironman New Zealand races and will compete next year in the chase for the 32-race record. He also plans to compete in Switzerland.
