By JARROD POTTER
IT WAS not a decision Levi Maxwell took lightly, but after a few years in age group triathlons and Ironman races, he was ready to tick another achievement off his list – turning pro.
Maxwell, 26, from Cranbourne, decided to join the top echelon of triathletes and Ironmen by making the leap from the elite standard into the professional category.
After back to back age-group victories at the world-famous KONA Ironman World Championships in Hawaii, Maxwell thought he was ready for transition into the professional world and his first taste at the next level was on Sunday’s Geelong 70.3 half-Ironman.
He just missed the four-hour mark, stopping the clock in seventh place at 4.01.01 hours, but Maxwell was thrilled to get the inaugural pro race under the belt and start 2016 strongly.
“I think it’s a relief,” Maxwell said. “Even though it’s just another triathlon, it’s nerve-racking to know you’ve turned up to go against the big boys and there’s a little bit of expectation to do well – especially being a two-time world age group champ.
“The swim played an important role and I showed some improvement in that, and that was probably the main goal for the day, to be in striking distance on the swim and show some improvements on my times.
“It’s a fantastic venue and was a fantastically run race was nice having heaps of familiar faces from Cranbourne and Geelong there so it was something special – even though I wasn’t 100 per cent fit – it was special to have my first pro-race with a home crowd.”
He weighed up the important decision to turn pro for the last few summers, but after the successes at KONA and recently in Cairns, Maxwell thought he was ready to become Australia’s next professional triathlete.
“Probably since the end of 2012, when I did Busso (Busselton) it’s sort of always been a goal,” Maxwell said.
“I didn’t want to get my pro ticket unless I thought potentially I could make an income and become a professional.
“I’d like to say I’ve gone through the stages and crossed off everything you can do as an amateur, and if I was going to do it, the time was now.
“Anyone who is thinking about going pro, you’ve just got to achieve everything you can as an amateur and don’t rush into going professional.”
The next long-course race is Warrnambool Sufferfest in March, and Maxwell will use it as a springboard to his major goal of the national championships.
“The main focus – that I’ve said since the start of the year – is Ironman Australia in Port Macquarie,” Maxwell said. “That’s a full distance Ironman – the one on the weekend was a half – I’d like to think I’m more specialised in the full distance – I guess I’ll find out, but I’m looking forward to that one.”
Maxwell’s Port Macquarie challenge is set for 1 May.
