John Tarbard, who hopes to complete 4 more triathlons this year, tells us he can't really run - but he's 'just having fun' taking part in the races
Before I meet John, I ask him to bring along a few of his medals. Having done 13 triathlons - there's quite a choice - but he opts for one with a red lanyard and a trophy from the same race too.
"Sheringham 2023, so this was the first one I did, strangely enough on that day I won my age group, I'd never done it before and it was like ta-da! Look at this, look at me!
"And then you get a bit addicted - then you wait for the next one to come up."
I first met John as he crossed the finishing line in May's Sunny Hunny Tri, and even though out of breath, he was kind enough to stop and chat. "My knees are like jelly - but I'm still here," he said.
Days afterwards I found out he is 79 years old, which intrigued me. I'm in my 40's and even the thought of doing a triathlon is daunting, so I asked to meet again to get some advice.
I had been expecting to hear he'd been competing, in some form, throughout his life, but this all began when he was 76.
John after finishing the Sunny Hunny Tri
"I'm part of a team of cyclists in Watton, one day we had this young lady join us and she decided to do a triathlon, but the thing about it was she couldn't swim - and she taught herself to swim and I thought what excuse do I have?
"I can do the bike stuff, the swimming - well I had to get in the pool and try and improve things - but the running, I still can't run, the first triathlon I walked it.
"Someone gave me this couch to 5k, it was so difficult, but now I can jog doing the 5k park runs and I can get around them."
He tells me there are 4 more races he hopes to complete this year, "It's been really good to do these triathlons, to get these things together, to get focused, you realise you've got to practise.
"If you're planning on getting old you've got to train for it, or else you know how you're going to end up - if you don't use it, you lose it.
"So I've done 13 so far, I've got another in a few weeks, I still can't really run - I'm just having fun, doing what I want to do. That's the key bit, having fun, if you're not doing that, nothing's going to work."
The trophy from John's first race
I ask what advice he'd give to those (like me) apprehensive about competing in one. "I've been plagued by fear, and I'm quite aware of it," he says, "And I came across this book and the answer to your question is in the title - 'Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway'.
"If you want to do something that's extraordinary to you - just do it. We can achieve almost anything. My goal is I'd like to do a 5k in 30 minutes, got to shave off 15 minutes!"
As we say goodbye John says perhaps he'll see me at one of the races later in the year, this time as a competitor.
Maybe John, just maybe.