After pushing his body for more than 10 hours in nearly 40 degree heat, an athlete from Steinbach says he hoped that moment would never end as he neared the Finish Line last Saturday in Hawaii.

Greg Penner had the opportunity last weekend to compete in the IRONMAN World Championship. The race consists of a 3.86 kilometre swim, followed by 180 kilometres of cycling and capped off by running a full marathon or 42.2 kilometres. Out of 2,232 competitors, Penner finished 790th.

Penner says this has long been a dream of his. Approximately 85,000 people compete in an IRONMAN event each year around the globe, but only a select few make it to Hawaii each year.

(Penner takes part in Parade Of Nations)The race starts in the Pacific Ocean. Penner says the swim discipline is a washing machine of arms and legs and an intimidating experience. He says they swam through four-foot swells and he is still dealing with sea sickness as a result. But he says it's amazing to swim in crystal clear water and be able to view sea life down below.

By the time he hopped on his bike the air was already sweltering hot. And by 8:30 am, he was already thinking that this was the hottest he had ever been. With not a cloud in the sky, Penner says there was no relief from the heat. Added to that, was the fact they were cycling through black lava fields, which he says made conditions that much hotter. At times his thermometer on his bike showed nearly 40 degrees Celsius, not including humidity.

Penner says the swim left him feeling more tight than normal. This created some discomfort in the early going of his bike ride. But Penner says he was able to start passing some of his competitors until some mechanical problems slowed him down.

"Which is highly unfortunate but it is part of racing and you do with it what you can," says Penner. "I did lose way too much time with that, but it's about your attitude and it's about never giving up."

Penner weathered through the bike setback and made it to the running portion. By now his skin was roasting from the hot sun, but Penner says physically he actually felt pretty good. He thinks the mechanical problems on the bike probably saved his legs.

During the run, there were aid stations at every mile. Penner recalls at each station he would take four cups of ice, dumping it down his shirt. By the time he reached the next mile, the ice had turned to water.

Penner says a lot of thoughts go through your head over the course of 10 hours. He had to think about how to manage his body mile after mile. Penner says he kept thinking about how hot he was, whether or not he was staying hydrated, where the next aid station was and where he might spot his family next.

He says his favourite part of the whole day was the last hour of the race. He says he felt surprisingly strong and was able to pass quite a few competitors. The Finish Line is on Ali'i Drive, an iconic road in endurance sports. As Penner approached the Finish Line he spotted his family and grabbed a Canadian flag from them. It was at this moment his body was done with running, yet he wanted to stay out there as long as possible in order to soak it all in. Penner says these are the images he has seen on TV, the Internet or in magazines. And to have been standing there, living that moment was quite amazing he says.

Penner gave a few high fives and then crossed the Finish Line 10 hours, 40 minutes and 49 seconds after first stepping foot in the Pacific Ocean.

He says his goal was to enjoy the day and he did just that.

"This is a place I've dreamt of being so long," he says. "To get to run some of the roads, it's like getting to play baseball in Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium or Arthur Ashe Stadium if you like tennis."

Further to that, he says the support from his wife, son and other family members lifted him throughout the day.

"I actually got to run with some of them for just a few steps and share the moment," he says. "They threw some water on me which was always appreciated."

He says IRONMAN is an individual sport, though it takes an army to get you there.

So what's next for Penner? He says it is time to put triathlon to rest and focus solely on running. Though he says if his son ever gets the itch, he would try to qualify again. Penner says the process of getting to Hawaii became a lifestyle and he needed to fit it into his family, his work and community involvement. He acknowledges how difficult it was to get to Hawaii.

"It takes so much and just to know that you're here and you made it and no one can take that away from you."