Lieutenant finds Ironman success in Aloha state

Published Oct. 31, 2007
By Airman 1st Class Mike Young
95th Air Base Wing Public Affairs

EDWARDS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- With blood pumping from every peddle, stroke and step, an Airman from the 95th Aerospace Medicine Squadron found herself victorious among competitors representing the other services during a world championship event.

First Lt. Lisa Newman-Wise competed as a member of a four-person team representing the Air Force in the Ford Ironman World Championship Triathlon held in Kailua Kona, Hawaii, in mid-October.

"Because I was competing in an Air Force uniform, I keyed in on the competitors wearing their military uniforms," Lieutenant Newman-Wise said. "I was able to keep track of their standings in the race, and that provided some of the motivation I needed to win."

Prior to this event, Lieutenant Newman-Wise participated in an Ironman competition in Florianopolis, Brazil, where she earned her spot to compete in Hawaii. During the Brazil race, Lieutenant Newman-Wise clinched 1st place for her age group. The Air Force chose her to compete with three other Airmen in the World Championship Triathlon.

The competition consisted of a 2.4-mile swim in the Pacific Ocean, 112-mile bike ride over several hills and inclines as well as a 26.2-mile run. About 1,800 competitors from all over the world participated in the championship event.

The athletes were allotted 17 hours to complete the race. However, Lieutenant Newman-Wise said she was able to conquer the land-and-sea course in 11 hours, 35 minutes, 52 seconds.

She took 13th place in her age group and the 1st place spot out of the other services' female competitors.

"Lieutenant Newman-wise is a truly gifted athlete, officer and individual," said Col. Gale Skousen, 95th Medical Group commander. "On top of earning the Company Grade Officer of the Quarter award here, she still managed to find time to prepare for the competition."

The Air Force team was also able to blow past the competition and take home the gold. The team members' combined times put them ahead of the Marines, Navy and Army teams by more than two hours.

To prepare for the "big day," Lieutenant Newman-Wise said her workouts usually consisted of a one to one-and-a-half hour swim. After a dip in the pool, she would run for around two hours followed by a four-and-a-half to six-hour spin. Lieutenant Newman-Wise would then wind down with a 45-minute run. Her total workout hours for a week usually exceeded 20 hours.

"I work very hard to achieve my goals," Lieutenant Newman-Wise said. "At the world championship, I was able achieve some of the biggest goals I had."

Now that the "big race" is over, Lieutenant Newman-Wise said she is going to take a couple of months to relax, eat some ice cream and spend time with her friends.

However, she is planning on participating in a half Ironman triathlon held at Camp Pendleton, Calif., in March 2008.

"I was happy with the results of my last Ironman," Lieutenant Newman-Wise said. "However, I am not completely content. There is always room for improvement."