Andrea Dyer – Half Ironman for the Smile Foundation

I started running and slowly progressed to triathlons on a very small scale, because I wanted to teach my 3 girls that anything is possible-even for someone who hadn’t been particularly successful in the sporting arena growing up. I completed my first, and ‘last’ half Ironman event in 2019. Famous last words! Here I was entering again in 2020 – only to prove to myself that I could have a good run after completing the swim and the cycle. Covid prevented that from happening so I decided to enter the Nelson Mandela bay half Ironman in 2022. What an incredible opportunity to complete a 1,9km swim, 90km cycle and 21km run in my home town, with my family supporting me along the way. But the swim never happen, so here I am again racing my final Ironman even, in Nelson Mandela Bay in 2023.

I decided to raise funds for a worthy cause, as I am constantly reminded how blessed and fortunate I am. In 2020 I lost a loved one to cancer, and had considered raising funds for cancer research. Although an incredibly worth cause, I reflected on my beautiful sister in law, her love for children and her beautiful smile, which could brighten the dullest of days, and suddenly The Smile Foundation felt the right cause for me to support. I believe that every child deserve the opportunity to have life altering surgeries and hope that with your support and donations, no matter how big or small, that I can help The Smile Foundation raise awareness and money to support children in need of these surgeries.