Penn State student Ben Haldeman (junior-mechanical engineering) will battle physical exhaustion, psychological barriers and the baking Hawaiian sun next week as he competes in the Ironman Triathlon World Championship.

The grueling event on Oct. 14 consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike race and finishes with a full 26.2-mile marathon. Haldeman will be one of 1,500 competitors in the field, narrowed down from 50,000 attempted qualifiers.

To achieve his goal of qualifying for the race, Haldeman remained at Penn State last summer to prepare. Despite working nearly 30 hours each week at research jobs, Haldeman remained focused on his training.

"This summer I was pretty consistent. I went 10 weeks without a day off, so it was basically the focus of my life," Haldeman said.

His hard work paid off at the Ironman Canada on Aug. 27, as his time of 9 hours and 57 minutes was enough to place among the top three in the 24 and under age division. This achievement was good enough for a spot in the Hawaii contest.

Haldeman's competitive career has been greatly aided by his involvement with the Penn State Triathlon Club. A runner in high school, Haldeman initially joined the club simply to pursue his running and to stay in shape.

As his career progressed, the club kept him motivated.

"I'm so lazy with training on my own. I'm way too lazy," Haldeman admitted.

The club accepts members of all skill levels, from international-level competitors like Haldeman through beginners.

Beginning triathlete Kristen Ripka (senior-industrial engineering) is enjoying the club so far.

"I like to run and bike, so I figured I'd join. I'm having a lot of fun with it so far," Ripka said.

Although Haldeman is only in his third year in the activity, he has truly reached the apex of the sport.

As Priscilla Fraiegari, public relations director for the race said in an e-mail, "Over the years, Ironman has become the 'super bowl' of triathlon because of the talented athletes it attracts each year."

The competition is unique in that "everyday athletes are given the opportunity to race alongside the world's best," Fraiegari said.

Ironically, after qualifying for the Hawaii race, Haldeman nearly chose not to participate. The day after the Canada race, he had to declare his intent to compete in the World Championships, but due to the bodily fatigue he was enduring, Haldeman almost chose to stay at home.

"A couple of the other guys said, 'it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and you can't pass it up,' " Haldeman said.

Although he will compete in Hawaii, Haldeman has no delusions of victory over professional triathletes. His goal is to complete the race in less than 10 hours — the same as in Canada — but he doubts any major improvements, because his legs have yet to recover from the August race.

Haldeman maturely summed up his aspirations for the World Championships.

"So many people do this for their whole lives. For me, it's just a great accomplishment that I'll definitely be happy with."