They think it's Aloha – and it is now for Ironman Andrew after dream comes true

The stars have aligned for a hospital worker who was able to pay tribute to his late dad after a long-standing wish came true.

Morriston Hospital anaesthetic practitioner Andrew Jones (above) took up triathlons in 2014 after injury forced him to retire from rugby.

He has since travelled the world taking part in various events, including competing as part of celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay’s Ironman team.

Throughout all that time, Andrew’s dream was to earn a slot in the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

(Andrew, right, in action in Hawaii)

Now that dream has come true and, after nine years of hoping, Andrew made the journey there – with the race date coinciding with the anniversary of his beloved dad’s funeral.

Andrew, who works in anaesthetics, theatre and intensive care, had his first taste of triathlons in August 2014. “I was forced to retire from rugby due to injury,” he recalled.

“I was looking for something to fill the void and came across a leaflet while at work for a local sprint distance triathlon. Being a competitive swimmer since the age of eight, I decided this was for me and entered.

“I loved it, and this gave me back the competitive edge that was missing from not playing rugby. This led to entering Ironman Wales, where the journey properly started.

“Little did I realise, due to my inexperience, how hard and how far these races were. It gave me passion to want to do more and strive to be the best that I could be.”

Andrew was coached by his dad Arthur, who had served with the RAF and then spent 34 years as a swimming teacher in Carmarthen Leisure Centre. He was also a founder member of Carmarthen Swim Club.

In October 2017 the pair were watching the World Ironman Championships. Arthur turned to his son and said, “If you keep working hard, one day you will get there.”

Sadly, Arthur died in hospital shortly afterwards, from complications arising from a car accident earlier that year. One of the things he told Andrew was, ‘Make sure you race Kona’.

From then, Andrew continued to race triathlons, specifically Ironman, with a dream of making the World Championships in Kailua-Kona.

“This led to racing many races in various countries, including Mexico, Malaysia and the US. I have been very fortunate with where these races have taken me and the experience it has provided me,” he said.

Other highlights included being selected to join Gordon Ramsay’s GR100 Ironman team in 2015 (right). A year after his father’s death, Andrew also completed a 24km swim in the River Teifi to honour his memory.

And there was more to come. “While racing in Cozumel, Mexico, I gained my slot to race in the Ironman World Championship in Nice, 2023,” he said.

“To stand on that start line and to be racing with the best in the world felt like such a dream come true.

“After nine years of racing full distance triathlon I finally got the email I was waiting for, telling me I had a slot in Kona.

“There were a lot of tears and mixed emotions, this was the pinnacle. It was what I had been working towards for years, carrying my dad’s words with me, qualifying for the biggest race in triathlon.

“My body, mental strength and those I'm surrounded by have got me here and I am very thankful and grateful.

“I was very excited to be on that start line. Incidentally, the date this race fell on was the date we said goodbye to my dad. The stars have now aligned.”

(Andrew with Kona winner and new world record holder Patrick Langer)

After pushing his body to the limit, Andrew has made the difficult decision that the Hawaii event would be his last full distance triathlon.

"I will still continue shorter distance racing," he added. "In fact, I ran the New York Marathon on the way home a week after Kona - just to finish the trip off. What an experience!"