“I trained for about 18 to 24 hours a week," says 27 year old Bob Bridgham, a personal trainer at Michael's Body Scenes, and owner of True Fitness Personal Training. "Sometimes I had to get up at 3:00 am to drive to Clermont where the competition was being held."

Bob's iron will along with his natural talents, won him a place in the top 19 finalists in his age category.

"I was tired, but I said, 'Wow'," I made it. The Great Floridian 2000 Triathlon attracted almost 1,000 contestants from all over the world. The grueling course included a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon. Participants included lawyers, laborers, teachers and moms!

Bob finished in 11 hours 39 minutes. (Whew!)

"My goal is to finish under 11 hours next time,” he says.

Newly wed Bob lives with his wife Amy and their three boxers, Caine, Kendall and Abbie whom he rescued off the streets of Miami a few weeks ago.

He says that triathlons put into practice all the weight training and cardiovascular endeavors.

His intense training, over an above his usual work, is a testimony to sheer will and discipline. During the training Bob ate mainly carbohydrates, eating up to 5,000 calories daily.

During the event, he kept himself hydrated with Gatorade, ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, pretzels, Payday bars, bananas and "Goo."

"Some people became severely dehydrated during the course but I felt good," he recalls.

"It's a way to challenge myself," he says. "I look at it this way. If you can drive yourself this hard for just the reward of the effort, then you can drive yourself that hard in work and in life."

Bob, a former Marine who participated in Operation Southern Watch in the Persian Gulf and provided air support and security during the extraction of US armed forces in Somalia, firmly believes in the mind-body connection. "The key to fitness is not only in your body, but your mind. You have to want it and make it happen for yourself."