2014 Ironman World Championship: Q&A with race director Diana Bertsch

The theme of the 2014 Ironman World Championship is hoomau — the Hawaiian value of perseverance, persistence and determination.

Hoomau will not only have to be displayed by the thousands of athletes congregating in Kailua-Kona for the 36th edition of the world championship event, but also by an “iron committee” made up of more than 100 volunteer directors, assistant directors and coordinators, as well as 5,000-plus race week volunteers who make the event possible.

At the head of that group is veteran Kona race director and Vice President of Ironman World Championship Events Diana Bertsch.

Bertsch took some time out of her busy prerace schedule to talk about the essence of Ironman, the evolution of the Kona race, and the committed group of volunteers who make it all possible.

Q: In your words, what is the Ironman experience?

What I have learned over the years from being a volunteer, participating in the race, and now having a chance to work with the company is that Ironman is really all about heart and soul. It’s about what drives you to push yourself to take on such a monumental physical and mental test.

But not just what motivates you a little bit. It’s about what motivates you so deeply that it makes you want to accomplish something many people see as impossible.

The emotions I went through when I did the race were incredible. To have that Ironman experience — going down Alii Drive for that final stretch and having the opportunity to cross — there’s simply nothing like it. It cannot be matched. You cannot share that feeling with words. It is something that is yours that you can forever own.

Q: What was your first encounter with Ironman and why did it resonate so strongly with you?

My first experience was by fluke. It was in 1990 and I was on vacation. I didn’t know Kona and it was my first time visiting Hawaii. The town was busy and had a lot of great energy. As a tourist, I went around the island and experienced all the special and incredible things the Big Island has to offer, but I started hearing about this Ironman event that was here.

The event was happening the day I flew out, so I decided we should get up early, get to the seawall, and watch this event everyone was talking about. We had the opportunity to see the swim start, and even now, I get chicken skin talking about it. I will never forget that moment when the cannon went off. I said to myself then, “One day, I’m going to do this.” That moment forever changed me.

There is nothing like being in Kona on race morning and watching that swim start. It is one of those things that captured something inside me. To have the opportunity to see what I do now and reflect on that first moment is pretty incredible. I know how this event affected me all those years ago, so to be a part of something that you know can trigger an emotion like that and the good it provides is pretty amazing.

Q: You are now the race director and vice president of Ironman World Championship events. What has the journey been like and what are some lessons you have learned along the way?

Where do you begin? A lot of the rewards in this have been the lessons I’ve learned along the way.

When Ironman came to me in 2003 and told me that they had this opportunity I did not have a clue of what the journey would be. It has become a part of who I am, and who my family is. My son is 15, and the first time I worked for Ironman (from 1997-2000 as assistant to the race director), I was pregnant with him. It is what he knows and it has become a part of our family. I owe a lot to Ironman simply because it has given so much to us. It’s not the physical thing in the event, but all the heart and soul that comes with it.

The lessons I have learned are too numerous to count. I think the greatest lessons I have learned are from the people I have had the honor of working with. From our directors, to the volunteers, to the athletes.

When you open yourself up to all this information and what people have to offer, it is all so good. It is amazing how much you can learn when you are receptive of it because everyone comes to the table with a different perspective. There comes a point that there is not a right or wrong. With an event as dynamic as Ironman, there is no right or wrong.

There are more than 5,000 people in this community that come together to make this event a success. For one day, everyone manages to put their differences aside for this end goal. That is the most phenomenal thing for me.

Q: Ironman has become synonymous with West Hawaii. What makes Kona the premier venue to host Ironman?

Without a community like we have here in Kona, Ironman would not be where it is today. It has to start there. There is not any one individual who can make this race happen. It takes the entire community believing in this event and feeling that it is for the better good to make it happen.

Ironman started in Hawaii in 1978 on Oahu and moved to the Big Island shortly after that. This is the birthplace of Ironman. No matter where you go in the world, you can never duplicate Kona. You cannot duplicate that aloha spirit. We have amazing Ironman and Ironman 70.3 events all over the world, but there is no place like Kona.

I work with some directors and volunteers who have been a part of almost every event since it started. Those are the people who have made this what it is today. They started with the belief and fostered that initial spark. Now, that spark has been spread throughout the world.

The dream for so many athletes, no matter where they are competing, is Kona. It says some amazing things about not only Hawaii, but our community. They have made this event what it is today.

Q: How has Kona — which 35 years ago was a much different town than it is today — evolved alongside the race? How have those changes affected the race?

The town was a lot different 35 years ago, but so was the event. I really feel the town and the event have evolved together. We have had some bumps, and some ups and downs, and some growing pains about how it all works, but I think that happens. This is Ironman’s home and together we have evolved.

We have had great support from the county and state, and we are so grateful for Mayor Billy Kenoi. He understands how the event impacts and supports the community, but also works with us to guide and teach us and builds on that dynamic.

Q: The Ironman World Championship is the pinnacle of endurance sports and the race has a storied history. Even with nearly a dozen races under your belt, does the pressure of being race director of such an iconic event surface?

Yes — it’s huge.

We have this group of people called the legacy athletes. Some have been trying to get here for 20 years. For some, this is the most important day of their lives. The pressure is not only putting on a successful overall event, but the goal is making certain that the day is all these people — who have worked so hard — have dreamt about.

Then there is also the pressure that you want everyone to be safe and happy at the end of the day. In this world, that is nearly impossible to make sure absolutely everyone is happy, but it’s what we strive for.

Once the train starts rolling on race day, there’s no stopping it, and as a team, you hope you have done everything you can do to make it a success. I have a team that I know gives it everything they have to ensure the greater success. The real test is dealing with problems as they arise and dealing with them in the best way you possibly can.

Q: When can you finally breathe a sigh of relief on race day?

There is never a point on race day or race week, but the first time I start to let go a little is when we have every athlete accounted for and off the course, which can be well after midnight.

We don’t stop then though. There are a million things that happen race day we have to deal with. Then, the next night is awards and after that is the mahalo party.

You never really stop, but at some point your mind shifts and you are able to say that aspect is done.

Q: What also comes with Kona is thousands of committed volunteers — some residents and others from all over the globe. What can you say about the people who come out and give their time to try to make sure the event runs smoothly?

There are no words I could use to express my gratitude for the Ironman volunteers.

It’s amazing to see what somebody will do to help someone else’s dream. It is completely selfless. They put aside who they are and their goals to help someone else pursue their passion. It is infectious. People see what they are doing and want to be a part of it.

I read a Theodore Roosevelt quote to our directors at our meeting before every year and I think it encompasses our volunteers very well:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

To me, that describes our volunteers. No matter how tough it gets, they are the ones that make it happen. To see that type of goodness shown in Kona, and worldwide at our events, is spectacular.

Q: Ironman has provided countless memories over three-plus decades. Which ones stand out?

There are so many memories, and I’m making new ones every day. I have been very blessed to be around some of the most amazing stories in the world of sports. The stories on all sides — from athletes or volunteers — are amazing and all memorable.

It is as much about building relationships as anything else. I don’t believe you are in a place in life because of a job. I believe it is the people you come in contact with and the memories you make that develop who you are. I have become who I am because of the people who have become a part of my life and have helped show me who I am. And all the good memories become ingrained and a part of you forever.

Q: On the other end of the spectrum, there are some people with a local perspective who see the event as a yearly burden. What would you say to those people and what does Ironman do to ease that burden on the local community?

Absolutely, and that is a struggle any major event in any town or city is going to have. Not everybody is going to embrace it. It is an inconvenience — it changes routines and patterns. All of a sudden there are so many new people in your world and it makes it more difficult to get to the store or to get gas.

My real hope would be those people could experience and see the lives we change through Ironman. I do believe the people of this community change people’s lives who come from all over the world.

We may not be doing brain surgery, but the memories are life-changing and many people will come away from the event and say it is the best thing they have ever done.

Of course, it doesn’t change those inconveniences, but if there was a way to help people see the positive that goes way beyond Kona and back out to the world, I think it could change a lot of minds.

Ironman is also a definite big boost to the local economy. You hope people see those benefits. This is Ironman’s home, and we have the Ironman Foundation here and do donations every year through our partnerships in the community. We all want to see the island benefit.