Kyle Buckingham: Facebook
Nelson Mandela Bay's homegrown Ironman hero Kyle Buckingham is emigrating to the United States with his wife Lauren and one-year-old son Chase.
Buckingham is a two-time winner of the Ironman African Championship in his own backyard and says he will definitely be back to defend his title in March next year.
However, at the age of 38, Kyle feels that in the best interests of his career, it's the right time to be making the move across the pond to where the real Ironman action is.
"I spend a good few months of the year competing in the US anyway and I soon realised that if I want to extend my career further I need to be at the coalface of the sport."
Buckingham told AlgoaFM Sport that it had been a 3-year process to receive his green card and that US citizenship would likely follow in around four years' time.
"I've probably got three our four more good years left in the sport and I could not pass up the opportunity to race a bit more in the United States and gain traction with potential sponsors - it's a big move for me and my young family but we are really excited at what the future holds," said Kyle.
"Nelson Mandela Bay has been an amazing home to me. I am born and bred and went to school here and for years I've actually lived on the Ironman bike route on Sardinia Bay Road so you certainly can't get more local than that. I chose The Bay as the place I wanted to be based to train as a professional but it's good to know I will be returning every year for the Ironman African Championship."
Buckingham will be based in Tucson, Arizona, where his coach also lives and he'll be training with one of the legends of the sport Ben Hoffman, himself a 3-time Ironman African Championship winner.
"Ben, myself and a few others share the same coach so its going to be incredible company training alongside the very best in the business. They've already been very welcoming so I'm very excited to be kicking on with my career in Arizona."
The iconic Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, in October is the next big one on Buckingham's list and will be preceded by two half Ironmans and then possibly the full Ironman Arizona in November. He will then rest and reset before turning his attention to the defence of his Ironman African Championship title in Nelson Mandela Bay.
"I would really love a great result at Kona in the next year or two and look forward to racing more in the States. I certainly want to get a few more wins under my belt including Ironman African Champs again," said Buckingam.
Looking further into the future, Kyle is already considering coaching and working with young kids and getting them more active in sport in general.
"For now, though, I'm excited to continue competing at the highest level for the next three to four years. I may be 38 already but I only started the sport at the age of 25 and feel that I have yet to reach my peak."
