Training facility in Wellington helps athletes go the extra mile

A state-of-the-art training facility in Wellington is helping athletes go the extra mile.

It can simulate extreme environmental conditions, giving them a preview of what they'll experience in competition.

And it's helped James Parker, a man with arthritis, run his best time in an Ironman race.

Parker was 26 when he was diagnosed with ankylosing spondylitis - a form of arthritis that primarily affects the spine and also causes inflammation of the joints.

But not wanting to let his diagnosis hold him back, he set out to compete in not one, but two Ironman races.

Parker hopes to inspire others diagnosed with the condition to never give up.

"You shouldn't just get rid of all your goals; you should still hold on to those. You've just got to realise it might take a lot longer and you might have to go about it in a much different way to get there."

Newshub.