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Bonique Clemente, a 44-year-old Brazilian triathlete and personal trainer, is preparing to compete in the Ironman Championships in Aracaju, balancing his intense training routine and balanced diet with his professional life, while contemplating the ups and downs of his career in the sport.
Ponic Clemente is a 44-year-old Brazilian athlete who discovered his love for the sport in swimming. Born in Recife (PE), he says he has always loved longer races and even took part in water marathons and cross-country at the beginning of his career as an athlete, while still in his teens.
His passion for long races led Clemente to compete in aquathlon, a sport that combines swimming and running in the same event. As a result, new friends emerged, and with them the encouragement to try triathlon.
“I was able to stand out and make new friends,” the athlete said. “Then the person said: ‘Oh, you’re good at triathlon, let’s do triathlon.’”
However, Clemente ran into a problem: the triathlons involved swimming, running and cycling, and he didn’t have a bike. He did not receive his first gift from his father until his eighteenth birthday. Since then, I have been a triathlete for 22 years.
Training and nutrition routine for athletes
On the eve of competing in the Aracaju leg of Ironman 70.3, a long-distance competition that includes 3.8 kilometers of swimming, 180 kilometers of cycling and 42.2 kilometers of running, Clemente explains that he needs to balance training with his professional life, as he is also a personal trainer. Therefore, he usually devotes two to three hours a day to training, with an average of one hour for each method.
The triathlete highlights that although he does not have the routine of a professional athlete, he has a degree in physical education, which ensures he has greater knowledge of his body. Moreover, he always ends up training with his students, moments that complement his individual training.
“I train or rehearse, and devote an hour to each method, on average, every day. But there’s no day off, it’s Sunday to Sunday, every day,” he said.
In triathlon, each race is unique and the environment determines preparation. Competitions in cold places require different strategies than those held in warmer locations, for example.
“If there is a hill, if the road is flat, if the swim is on the beach with salt water, if the swim is in fresh water. We study the environments in which we will compete so that we can simulate them in training, so that things go well in the race,” he explained.
In addition to intense training, an athlete needs to keep his body well nourished. In other words: even with high calorie consumption, healthy eating is still essential. However, Clemente admits that sweets are his main diet “misstep.”
He revealed, “I try to eat as healthy as possible, with vegetables, salad, grains, and everything that exercise requires. I have a few slips, but I like a few sweets, and this is probably the biggest reason for my slips.”
In long-distance races, the body needs to be well-nourished and prepared to face the challenges. Clemente says even the weather interferes with an athlete’s meal.
He said: “Nowadays, what distinguishes one athlete from another on the podium is the issue of supplementation, an issue that has developed more in recent years. Whoever supplements better will be able to make better use of his body, his body will provide him with more energy and the person will have an advantage in that.”
How to survive in a triathlon
Triathlon is an extremely challenging competition that combines three sports and is a test of physical and mental endurance. Often times, an athlete’s main struggle is with his or her body.
Clemente revealed that the most difficult race he participated in was the Ironman race in Hawaii, when he was unable to complete the race: “I was in very good physical condition, but I neglected some hydration factors and supplements during the cycling part, because I was focused on achieving a certain time. Every time I rode the bike, when I looked at the clock, I saw in my expectations that it was possible to achieve what I trained for. So, I focused so much on that that I neglected the important points, which were taking care of me.” The body,” he said.
The athlete from Pernambuco fainted at the 16th kilometer of the marathon, after finishing swimming and cycling. “I paid a very high price. So, for me, this was the hardest test, because even though I am competitive, and always want to win, I really enjoy crossing the finish line.”
Clemente has already competed in the Ironman Hawaii five times, and in only one of them has he failed to cross the finish line. When he appears tired and frustrated, he says he thinks about the people who support him.
“My roots, the students who take care of me, my family who accompanies me, who see my struggle on a daily basis, and who know how important triathlon is to me. So endurance sports have many ups and downs, not only physically, but also psychologically,” he recalls.
Family takes on greater importance. “It’s like I looked at the audience and saw that they were everything to me, like that. I think I feel stronger when they’re there. It’s like I’m stronger with their presence, everyone’s voices, everyone’s encouragement.”
Injury is an athlete’s biggest opponent
In 22 years of triathlon, difficulties are bound to arise. Clemente said that he suffered two injuries that kept him out of racing for some time: one in his right knee and the other in his left knee. The first occurred in 2010, while the second came ten years later.
The first time, he had to spend a year having applications done on his knee. He qualified for the World Cup, but was injured and was unable to have surgery until after competing. It has been a difficult year, in which he was not able to train as much as he would have liked, but he claims that the injuries have made him more conservative, and he always seeks to reduce the risk of new problems.
“Injury is the toughest competitor any athlete can face. Because it makes it impossible for you to improve your performance. So, the fight is not against anyone, but against your body,” he said.
Live for the triathlon or live for the triathlon?
Bonique Clemente reveals that he cannot give up his career as a personal trainer and that he will not be able to make a living from sports alone: he needs to work to maintain his career. “The average bike, which you can compete in a triathlon race, can cost between R$20,000 and R$30,000. There are bikes that cost up to R$200,000,” he revealed.
It is noteworthy that he has already received a sports scholarship from the state of Sergipe and has participated in other aid programs, in addition to receiving special sponsorship. According to him, it is this support that allows athletes to live for triathlon. “Living directly from winning sports, from trophies, does not exist in triathlon. Even professional athletes cannot live from triathlon trophies,” he stressed.
Throughout his career, Clemente visited many places and gained many experiences. There were five trips to Hawaii, two to Florida and three to Mexico. He has also visited Argentina and, more recently, New Zealand. “There’s no such thing as a bad trip,” he decreed, but Hawaii is “unbelievable.”
On Sunday the 30th of this month, Bonniec Clemente will be in Aracaju (SE) for the final stage of 2025 IRONMAN 70.3. Close to home, perhaps he could rely on the strength of his family to support him.