The Ironman New Zealand is celebrating its 35th anniversary this weekend with a quality field fighting it out in Lake Taupo.
One of those is 2017 race winner Braden Currie.
The 32-year-old couldn't defend his title a year ago thanks to illness but he's out to prove he is the best in 2019 against a stacked field including Cameron Brown and Terrenzo Bozzone.
A day out from a race most normal men would die attempting, you would think an Ironman would be avoiding any type of distraction
But for Currie, his kids are what keeps him calm.
"Hanging out with them or reading them books in the evening, that's the time where the race doesn't come into my mind and you know, lets me sort of calm a little bit," Currie told Newshub.
Currie and his family know the Taupo Ironman well with memories both good and bad. The euphoria of 2017 battered into distant memory by the heartbreak a year later.
Currie started the 2018 race on fire, but he couldn't shake off a terrible flu and ended up withdrawing. A career low for the Kiwi.
"Not getting that opportunity after four months of dedication towards the race and those sacrifices you make to get her e, both financial and personal – it's really hard to walk away from.
But Currie has put the disappointment of 12 months ago behind him achieving fantastic results throughout 2018.
He went on to win the Ironman Asia Pacific Champs - and then came fifth in the world event in Kona.
He's an athlete seeking Taupo redemption, who admits he's nearing career-best form.
"Yeah, I do think I'm getting pretty close to it," Currie said.
"It's that thing with Ironman, you need those few years to be able to adapt to the endurance."
Standing in Currie's way though are a number of athletes and high-ranking kiwi ones.
Most notably 19-time champion Brown, and last year's champion Bozzone.
"With all of us racing against each other we want to all be at least the first Kiwi," Bozzone told Newshub.
"We just have to make sure we bring our best and no one is going to want to give up until the finish line."
And it's the finish line Currie wants to hit first on Saturday ensuring any Taupo triumph isn't spoiled by his Kiwi completion.
"We are there to beat each other," he said. Pre-race and race day we're not the best of friends. We are there to play mind games and see what we can do."
Newshub.