Dantley Young finished his first triathlon last year.
Yesterday he won one of the toughest triathlons in the world. Young crossed the line first at the Silverman Triathlon in Nevada in a time of 10 hours, 1 minute and 29 seconds..
It was Young's second victory in three weeks. The win proved he has the potential to be one of the world's top competitors. The next closest finisher, Chris Williams of Bend, Ore., finished 38 minutes back.
"The course was ridiculously tough," Young, 24, said. "This is the world's toughest course -- hands down. The first 12 miles on the bike were straight into the wind."
According to the Las Vegas Sun:
"Strong finishes have become commonplace for Young. He also won the U.S. Halfmax National Championships three weeks ago in Boulder City and took 24th at Ironman Canada in August in a respectable 9:19.31.
"That was against the big boys," Young said of the Canada race. "It gave me confidence in what I can do. I wake up every day with a passion to push myself to get better."
Young's parents live in South Summerlin and he's been training in the area the past two months. He previously worked part-time as a tennis instructor, but now focuses all his time on racing.
Most triathlons offer a small purse for top finishers and sponsorships money for the sport's marquee figures can easily reach six figures, he said."