By Erin Bishop  January 15 2010

Andrew Colquhoun’s past year has been challenging in ways most could only imagine.

His mother-in-law died, his second child was born, his wife was diagnosed with cancer and he sold a business and changed his job; a lot to handle in less than 18 months.

 But now the 100kg-plus, 36-year-old type two diabetic is preparing to add another challenge to that list – the biggest physical challenge of his life.

 He’s doing Saturday’s half ironman at Challenge Wanaka. Andrew and wife Amanda have had a hectic and testing year between her treatment, his training and juggling one-year-old Ella and five-year-old Matheson.

 But with Amanda’s treatment due to finish in March and Andrew ready to tackle the gruelling Wanaka race, things are looking up.

 The story started when Amanda’s mother died of breast cancer in October 2008, shortly before the birth of Ella.

 Just a couple of months later Amanda found a lump in her breast and by December she’d had a double mastectomy and was undergoing chemotherapy.

 Andrew, a former North Harbour rugby representative who moved his family to Ashburton about four years ago when he took over the management of the Ashburton Community Pool, decided that when life smoothed out a bit again, he wanted a challenge.

 Challenge Wanaka’s half ironman involves a 19km swim, a 90km bike ride and a half marathon. Andrew describes himself as a confident and natural swimmer who’s fine when he’s biking on the flat and downhill, but says he’s more of a “plodder” than a long distance runner.

 In fact, when he started training he couldn’t even run 1km, but now he can run more than 20km.

 Even Matheson joins him on the odd 10km run.

 “But there’s probably going to be a bit of walking in the run, because I’m still a guy who is over 100kg,” Andrew said.

 Andrew said Challenge Wanaka was a hilly course and one of the hardest ironman events around.

 His main aim was just to finish it.

 He started training about a year ago, doing it all by himself, and he said with everything else that was going on, it was a good way to clear his head and have some time out.

 Andrew was also diagnosed with type two diabetes six years ago, and that was part of the reason why he gave up rugby.

 He just didn’t bounce back from the knocks as well as he used to.

 He’s still involved though, now as a coach.

 Andrew is aiming to finish Saturday’s half ironman in under seven hours, and he’ll have his glucometer with him to keep an eye on his blood sugar levels.

 “If it takes me 10 hours, I’m going to finish it. It will come up with a ‘did not finish’, but I will know I finished,” Andrew said.

 He’s a competitive person, but this was about survival and saying he’d done it.

 “It’s like anything. If you put your mind to it you can do it,” he said.

 Amanda, Matheson, Ella and many family and friends will be lining the course, cheering Andrew on this Saturday, and he said he could not have done it without them – with special thanks going to family friend Jenny Dowdle for her many hours spent looking after the kids.

 Challenge Wanaka has attracted over 1000 athletes for both the half ironman and ironman events.

Pictured: Andrew Colquhoun – putting himself through the ultimate test in Saturday’s Challenge Wanaka. - Photo Kirsty Graham 120110-KG-080