By Rick Pusiak
He describes himself as an ordinary guy trying to raise a little bit of money for the battle against cancer.
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Cst. Grant Howard, Cst. Al Kuzenko and Karen Proulx |
But Al Kuzenko is doing it in an extraordinary way.
The OPP detective constable heads to Penticton BC next month to take part in the Canadian Iron Man Triathlon Championship, a test of physical endurance that involves a two-and-a-half-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26-mile run.
There are no breaks and the course has to be completed in one day.
Kuzenko entered the event to challenge himself and raise awareness about cancer.
He signed up with the Iron Cops for Cancer team and started training a year ago.
Any funds directed his way (675-TIPS) will go to the Canadian Cancer Society and the local cancer research centre.
Kuzenko talked things over with his wife before making the commitment to the competition.
?I said it?s going to take a little time, it?s going to change my life a bit for about a year,? recalled the 34-year-old detective constable.
?I said are you OK with that and she said yeah. So we?ve tried to incorporate it into our lifestyle, my training has become our family?s training. I train together with both my kids as often as I can and my wife comes out as well.?
The competition date is Sunday, Aug. 25.
He said just as surely as his family trained with him for the event they?re coming with him.
Kuzenko has booked a little vacation time but will work out extra hard so he doesn?t lose his athletic edge on the West Coast.
As for equipment, the athlete is using his own ordinary mountain bike that has been tuned up by Paul Cameron at Cameron Cycle.
His running shoes are just some well-fitting regular sneakers.
?Satisfaction will come in finishing the race, not in finishing in a particular time,? said Kuzenko.
?This is my first Iron Man and it?s going to be long and grueling for me.?
Competitors are scheduled to line up at 7 am. They have until midnight to wrap things up.
His goal is to just to finish before the allotted time is over.
The Sudbury born Kuzenko signed up with the OPP 12 years ago and was posted to Geraldton for 10 years.
Back in 1999 he was posted to Crime Stoppers in this city.
Members of that organization planned on holding a fundraiser at Bell Park this weekend to help Kuzenko pay some of the expenses related to the competition, including a $500-registration fee.
Meanwhile some businesses and individuals have already chipped in to the special fund the detective constable set up for cancer research.
Kuzenko mails out about 30 newsletters a month updating contributors on his training.
?So often you donate to something and you never find out what they did or how they did,? said the officer.
?I take the time and mail it out to everyone I can and take people down my little adventure.?
Kuzenko may have another odyssey on the horizon. The Penticton competition is a qualifying event for the world championship to be held in Hawaii.
