KAILUA-KONA >> His race number said it all: 343, the number of firefighters who died in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. 9/11 sacrifices inspire
Ironman racerAssociated Press
Firefighter Larry Parker, of Ladder 129 in New York City, said 343 sets of wings carried him through the grueling Ironman Triathlon World Championship.
"There were some rough spots and they carried me," said Parker, 39, of Amityville, N.Y., on Saturday after finishing the 2.4-mile ocean swim, 112-mile bicycle ride and 26.2-mile marathon in 10 hours and 17 minutes.
Tim DeBoom, 31, of Lyons, Colo., won the triathlon by completing it in 8 hours, 29 minutes and 56 seconds.
Parker's time was 8 minutes faster than his finish in the 2000 race.
"It wasn't for me this time, so it didn't matter how I did," he said. "It was very emotional. I got too emotional three times on the course and hyperventilated."
Parker was on vacation here training for last year's race at the time of the terrorist attack. He spent the next two weeks helping in the rescue effort at the trade center. He canceled that race and then had trouble getting motivated to try again this year.
The 343 who perished gave him inspiration.
"I'll never forget these guys," he said. "I knew a lot of them."