Matt Lewis' first Little Husky Triathlon Festival win in the Olympic or standard event on Sunday is testament to all the training he has been doing in the past few months.
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The local competitor blitzed the field and finished the event in an impressive time of 1:55:52 hours.
He dominated the event from start to finish or from swim to run in this case.
However, when he first got up on Sunday morning Lewis did not even think the event would get underway.
"To be honest I thought it would be cancelled," Lewis said in relation to what was a wet and wild weekend.
The wind had died down by the time the swim leg started, but the wet road conditions tested the competitors.
Lewis felt good in the swim and beforehand, and after a chat with his coach, had decided he would go out hard in the swim leg.
He was first out of the water, before getting onto his bike and blowing his opponents away.
According to one App, he set the record faster time in the bike leg - despite the road being wet.
"The bike leg felt a bit dangerous but it was still fast," he said.
He took a risk, pedalled hard and got the rewards.
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Normally on the bike leg, he tries to reel in his competitors, but not on Sunday.
Knowing he was setting the pace on the bike leg was a great feeling for Lewis, who has been training the house down.
"I have been working hard on my bike leg. I would do 330 kilometres a week in training which includes going up some mountains to build up strength," he said.
His training program included some indoor cycling as well.
Lewis, as he came into the transition station for the run, knew victory was within reach - barring a disaster.
He had about a three-minute lead going into the run.
"I was feeling confident going into the run," he said.
"I still had to run well, but I did enjoy the last three kilometres.
"It was a good feeling to win - you don't get to win too often."
The local lad was able to soak up and share victory with all his supporters who were cheering him on.
It was his first post-COVID-19 lockdown event.
He said the enforced COVID break was a blessing in disguise because it meant he could focus on training and not worrying about upcoming events.
Lewis will now enter the Professional Triathletes Organisation event on November 15 in Hervey Bay which offers a prizes pool of $15,000.
"I am not chasing the cash," Lewis said.
"I am chasing the chance to compete against the best triathletes in Australia and possibly the world."
