By Gail Smith-Arrants
Charlotte Observer
MECKLENBURG, N.C. — Tim Marshburn used to weigh 418 pounds.
Now, he’s down to 260 and hoping to drop some more.
Saturday may have helped, because he competed in the Tri Latta sprint triathlon at Latta Plantation Park — swimming back and forth across Mountain Island Lake, biking 17 miles, and then running 3.1 miles.
“I’m one of the biggest guys” on the triathlon circuit, said Marshburn, who entered the Masters Clydesdales category for men over 200 pounds.
Marshburn, 42, Mecklenburg EMS operations supervisor, and two other paramedics competed Saturday.
Katie Currin, 33, who like Marshburn has had gastric bypass surgery, at 170 pounds has lost half of her body weight. She used to be 340 pounds.
Although paramedics tend to the public, they don’t always do the best job of taking care of themselves, Marshburn said. Job stress and pulling 12-hour shifts — he works 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. — often leads to unhealthy habits.
Currin played college basketball, but her post-graduation weight gain had begun to affect her work as a paramedic. She even had trouble kneeling next to her patients.
She had her gastric bypass surgery in November 2005. Marshburn’s surgery was the year before. Both credit their fitness guru, Eric Morrison, with getting them off the couch and onto the swim-bike-run circuit.
Morrison, 35, EMS community relations coordinator, is a machine.
Three years ago, he battled Hodgkin’s lymphoma with eight months of chemotherapy. He started competing last year to get back into shape.
And after cancer, the 6-foot-4 Morrison doesn’t let a little thing like being hit by a car stop him. Two weeks ago at a triathlon event in Kings Mountain, he was hit by someone who turned in front of his bike.
He checked himself, then said, “Yeah, I’m intact. Let’s go.” And he kept racing.
The EMS staffers train as a trio whenever they can, and have competed in a number of triathlons together.
About 800 people registered for Saturday’s competition, and an additional 500 planned to compete in today’s novice event at Latta.
On Saturday, the swimmers hit the water about 6:30 a.m. Because hundreds compete, they start in 10 staggered “waves.”
Marshburn’s group took off at 6:54 a.m., and about 25 minutes later, he climbed out of the water and jogged up the hill. At his bike, he took a swig of water and put on his gray bike jersey, yellow cycling gloves, sunglasses and bike helmet.
The 17 miles of biking took him more than an hour, and with the run, his total race time was about two hours, 51 minutes.
His legs were cramping, but he was happy. He finished.
On race day, Marshburn doesn’t worry about his weight and loose skin. He said the possibility of tiring out in the middle of the lake — and not what people think — can weigh on his mind.
“The swim is the biggest challenge for me, not the swimsuit,” he said.
“I’m not here for any of them anyway. I’m here for me.”