Documentary chronicles athletes with unique challenges during Ironman World Championship in St. George

Ironman 70.3 World Championship, St. George, Utah, Sept. 18, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

ST. GEORGE —The documentary special of the 2021 Intermountain Healthcare Ironman 70.3 World Championship presented by Utah Sports Commission will premiere worldwide on Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on Outside, according to a press release issued by Ironman.

Finishers’ medals, Ironman 70.3 World Championship, St. George, Utah, Sept. 18, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

This world premiere is part of the Ironman Group’s recently announced partnership with the active lifestyle content company. Airing of the documentary marks the first piece of content for a five-year partnership that includes 12 Ironman 70.3 events to be broadcast live on Outside in 2022.

The broadcast special will chronicle the stories of both professional and select age-group athletes competing in the iconic triathlon that took place Sept. 18, 2021 in St. George. The premiere will be available to viewers around the world on Outside across web, mobile and connected TV distribution channels, inclusive of the website or in the Outside App.

Since 2006, the Ironman 70.3 World Championship triathlon has showcased not only the limitless physical capability and competitive nature of the top endurance athletes in the world, but also some of the most awe-inspiring and impactful stories of courage and resilience from the age-group athletes.

The broadcast special spans from the pre-race build-up to the final hours of the finish, unveiling the intensity, emotion, physical demands and dramatic competition of the more than 3,500 athletes, the news release states.

Women’s pro winner Lucy Charles-Barclay and men’s pro winner Gustav Iden at the finish line, Ironman 70.3 World Championship, St. George, Utah, Sept. 18, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

Representing more than 85 countries, regions and territories, athletes took on a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run across the rugged St. George terrain, proving that anything is possible.

Among the features of this year’s Ironman 70.3 World Championship special:

  • From the firing of the start cannon to the finish line tape, Lucy Charles-Barclay dominates the women’s professional field with prowess and a determination to win, taking down five-time and defending world champion Daniela Ryf.
  • Following his quick rise and stunning 2019 Ironman 70.3 World Championship win in Nice, France as a seemingly unknown challenger, Norwegian professional Gustav Iden crosses the finish line with an unrivaled race that cements him as a force for others to catch.
  • Australian Paralympic triathlon silver-medalist Lauren Parker competes in St. George with big ambitions after suffering a bike crash that paralyzed her at the peak of her career, now proving that no obstacle is too big to overcome including race week medical challenges.
  • Northern Utah native and elite cyclist Kyle Brown was diagnosed with an aggressive form of ALS in early 2021 and given only 6-8 months to live by doctors. Instead of letting his diagnosis suppress his passion, Kyle competes against all odds and completes the race of a lifetime, saying, “When faced with tragedy we can either come alive or come undone. I choose to come alive.”
  • Sam Holness of London, England, is a 28-year-old autistic athlete on a mission to prove that a perceived disability cannot limit him. St. George becomes Sam’s stage to show the world how autism is his “super power.”

The broadcast special of the 2021 Intermountain Healthcare Ironman 70.3 World Championship Presented by Utah Sports Commission was filmed and produced by The Ironman Group Productions team and is the first piece of content to air on Outside in what will also include live event coverage over the next five years.

Ironman 70.3 World Championship, St. George, Utah, Sept. 18, 2021 | Photo by Jeff Richards, St. George News

In total, the documentary special took four months of production time, utilizing 50 hours of footage and content from 13 cameras to capture race day and tell the amazing story of this unique event and the athletes competing.

After the premiere of the documentary, the content for 2022 continues with live broadcast coverage of 12 Ironman 70.3 Triathlon Series events, starting with the Ironman 70.3 Oceanside on April 2 and will also include the 2022 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in October.

Live viewing will be available for free across Outside’s multiple distribution platforms globally on the web, mobile, and connected TV apps. On-demand viewing is also available by subscribing to Outside.

For more information on Outside Interactive, Inc., visit OutsideInc.com.

For more information about the Ironman 70.3 World Championship, please visit the website. For more information on the Ironman brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com.

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