Philip Hatzis (2007) left Abingdon to go on to study engineering at the University of Durham. A prime example of an Abingdon all-rounder, he demonstrated a wide variety of talents at School, serving as a House Prefect, the School Piper and also excelling with the cross-country team – a passion which is still very much part of his life.
In 2008 Philip entered the Ironman UK triathlon competition held at Sherborne Castle, Dorset on Sunday 7 September. The race involves a 2.4-mile swim (two laps of Sherborne Lake), a 112-mile bike route across the rolling terrain of the Dorset countryside and finally a 26.2-mile run (incorporating two laps within Sherborne Castle itself and two loops on the stretch of road leading towards the now infamous Babylon Hill turnaround). The race, set in the heart of the Dorset countryside, offers competitors and spectators stunning views alongside ancient history and must rate as one of the most scenic Ironman courses in the world.
The Ironman UK course is, however, also an incredible challenge. Competitors have a maximum of 17 hours to finish the course, during which time they will have travelled over 140 miles. Having trained hard Philip had set his sights high: he had completed London Marathon in 3 hours and 11 minutes, coming 3rd in his age group, and the Half Ironman in 5 hours 42 minutes, coming 9th in his age category. In the real thing Philip was hoping to finish at least 4 hours within the 17 hour cut-off – a tall order! His Abingdon drive for excellence shone through, however, and Philip managed to cross the finish line in 11 hours 58 minutes! He finished 16th out of 62 in his age group (18 – 24 male), 296th out of the men and 320th out of all 1256 competitors.
Philip completed the Ironman UK 2008 on behalf of ‘United Through Sport’, an international sports development charity which unites people around the world to play sport and tackle social inequality. Philip raised over £1,500 for ‘United Through Sport’, funds which will be mainly be directed to the support of schools in South America. In 2006 Philip spent some time with World Challenge in Peru and is delighted to know that these funds will be directly benefitting a cause so close to his heart.
Completing the Ironman in less than 12 hours is a fantastic achievement, and one which Philip will carry with him forever. Philip would like to thank everyone who supported him and ‘United Through Sport’. He says: “I have now achieved this amazing goal and through that, others will benefit. A truly warm thank you.” We are incredibly proud of Philip and all those other OAs who, like Philip, go on to achieve great things after their time at School and make a difference to the world by their efforts.
