{"id":575,"date":"2024-08-29T13:54:21","date_gmt":"2024-08-29T11:54:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jackroels.be\/home\/"},"modified":"2025-09-24T11:09:20","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T09:09:20","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/jackroels.be\/en\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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My Journey to IRONMAN World Champion­ship<\/h1>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Follow me, Jack Roels<\/strong>, a 22<\/strong>-year-old student and triathlete, on my inspiring journey to the IRONMAN South Africa in Port Elizabeth, 2026. This will be my last full-distance competition before I return to the IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Read about my achievements, dedication and search for partners to make my dream come true.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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countdown to: <\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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IRONMAN IN South Africa:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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19 april 2026<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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IRONMAN World CHampionship Hawaii<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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10 oktober 2026<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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My Dream and Ambition<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Since a young age, it has been my dream and ambition to achieve a major sports milestone through hard work and solid preparation. In August 2023<\/strong>, I decided to make that dream a reality by preparing for my very first IRONMAN<\/strong>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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My First Success<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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In June 2023, I participated in my first trail run, a challenging 22-kilometer race. To my great joy, I won this race with more than a 2-minute<\/strong> lead over second place in a field of over 180 participants. This achievement gave me the confidence and motivation<\/strong> to continue on my athletic journey.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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The Road to IRONMAN Copenhagen 2024\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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After less than a year of intense training, on August 18, 2024, the time had come: I stood at the start of my biggest athletic challenge to date<\/strong>, the IRONMAN in Copenhagen. Surrounded by family and friends, I began swimming in the beautiful Amager beach.<\/p>

My training paid off<\/strong> as I set an excellent time in the water. The 180 kilometers of cycling that followed were also completed in an exceptional time. Then I began the marathon, where I managed my energy well and worked professionally.<\/p>

When I finally crossed the finish line and heard the words \u201cYou are an IRONMAN,\u201d<\/strong> it was the perfect moment. This marked the culmination of all my long training days, sacrifices, and professional approach.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Kailua-Kona: The Global Stage Where I Realized My Dream<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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On October 26, 2024<\/strong>, I stood at the start of one of the biggest sports events in the world. Nine hours and 31 minutes later, I heard the words once again: \u201cYou are an IRONMAN.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>

With a 322nd<\/strong> place out of 2,287<\/strong> participants and 21st in my age category, I proved my potential after just one year<\/strong> of intensive training. I look back on this achievement with pride and am determined to return to Hawaii<\/strong> in 2026<\/strong>, a place that has gained special meaning for me.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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IRONMAN THUN<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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On 24 August 2025<\/strong>, I took part in my third full-distance IRONMAN<\/strong> ever. At 22 years old<\/strong>, I was once again one of the youngest participants at the start. It took 10 months of preparation, combining full-time triathlon training<\/strong> with my studies, to make my dream come true once again: to qualify for the world championship in Hawaii in 2026<\/strong>.<\/p>

Nine hours and 20 minutes<\/strong> later, I heard the words: \u2018Here is the 18-24 age group champion<\/strong> from Belgium<\/strong>, Jack Roels<\/strong>, you are an IRONMAN<\/strong>\u2019.<\/p>

This was after a gruelling course in which the water temperature in Lake Thun<\/strong> was below 17.5 degrees Celsius<\/strong> and more than 2,100 metres of elevation<\/strong> had to be covered during the cycling stage<\/strong>. With my victory in Thun<\/strong>, I proved once again that I am a young triathlete with a lot of potential and that I can prove myself again among the very best triathletes<\/strong> at the World Championships in 2026<\/strong>. A competition that will always be close to my heart.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

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Looking for Support\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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As an athlete and student, I face significant athletic and financial challenges<\/strong>. Therefore, I appeal to supporters and potential partners who want to be part of my journey to this unique and world-famous World Championship. Your support will not only make a crucial contribution to my participation but also serve as extra motivation<\/strong> to realize my dream and strive for the best possible result.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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At 22<\/strong>, I see a bright future<\/strong> for myself as an athlete. Knowing that endurance athletes often peak between the ages of 30 and 34<\/strong> gives me the confidence that there is still much potential and room for improvement<\/strong>. However, this cannot happen without the support of the right sponsors who are willing to guide me toward even better performances.<\/p>

My triathlon story continues after Kona, and I look forward to what the future holds. You can reach me through my social media or call me at +32 468 226 426<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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These Partners Believe in Me<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tInstagram<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tTiktok<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tLinkedin-in<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
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My Journey to IRONMAN World Champion­ship Follow me, Jack Roels, a 22-year-old student and triathlete, on my inspiring journey to the IRONMAN South Africa in Port Elizabeth, 2026. This will be my last full-distance competition before I return to the IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Read about my achievements, dedication and search for partners […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-575","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackroels.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/575","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackroels.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackroels.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackroels.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jackroels.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=575"}],"version-history":[{"count":54,"href":"https:\/\/jackroels.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/575\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1093,"href":"https:\/\/jackroels.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/575\/revisions\/1093"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jackroels.be\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=575"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}