Posted: September 26, 2005

Triathlon: Ironman Fans Can Catch the “Kona Buzz” with Desiree Ficker as She Trains for 2005 Ironman Triathlon World Championship

Desiree Ficker at the Penticton Ironman Canada (Photo: Steve Bower/RunnersWeb.com)

Austin, TX -- Today, Ironman triathlete Desiree Ficker announced her participation in a wireless information campaign that will give fans and other athletes a unique glimpse into her private training diary. As Ficker prepares for the 2005 Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, she will use WiggleWireless mobile phone text messaging to share training tips and secrets, and personal stories. This is an opportunity for fans – spectators and triathlon participants alike – to get the real scoop about what it is like to be a professional athlete training for one of the most challenging sporting events in the world.

“I want to share my own training experience – both the ups and downs – in hopes that my determination inspires physical, mental, or spiritual strength in fans and other athletes,” explains Ficker. “As a pro, training for the World Championship Ironman triathlon is like no other athletic experience. On race day you have to be prepared to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and then run a full marathon, 26.2 miles in just over 9 hours. It inspires and motivates me to know I can share my experience with others, while I train for the big day.”

Other athletes who will race alongside Ficker reveal their training diaries through the WiggleWireless “Kona Buzz” include:

§ Peter Reid who is also making a recovery as he readies himself for this extreme race at his triathlon “boot camp.” Last spring, Reid contracted a debilitating virus after over-extending himself in training;

§ Normann Stadler of Germany the returning champion of the 2004 Hawaii Ironman Triathlon who was recently hit by a car while training on his bike in San Diego; and

§ Kate Major, a native Australian who hopes a stress fracture she incurred after winning the Ironman Arizona will be left in the dust – or rather the lava fields – as she sprints toward the finish-line.

The “Kona Buzz” mobile phone text messaging offered by WiggleWireless will also feature reports from triathlon insiders such as Paul Huddle, Chris Legh, Wendy Ingraham, and others. The “Kona Buzz” offers fans a behind-the-scenes look at the action before, during, and after the Ironman as 1,800 triathlon participants and thousands more volunteers prepare for the big day.

“The Kona Buzz let’s fans in on the action with first-hand stories from their favorite athletes,” says WiggleWireless President and Creator, Jeff Pokonosky. “WiggleWireless users can designate which updates they want to receive so they feel constantly connected with an athlete without having to take time out to sit in front of a computer or television.”

To sign-up to receive daily updates from Desiree Ficker’s training diary or other triathlon insider information on your mobile phone, visit the WiggleWireless website at WiggleWireless.com. Click on “Cell Phone Diaries of Elite Athletes” or “Kona Buzz,” select the information you want sent as text to your mobile phone, and then follow the simple instruction.

Desiree Ficker is represented by Carri Bennet, CEO and Founder of Bennet & Bennet, a dynamic legal and technical consulting firm in Washington, DC that seeks to marry its passions for wireless technology with multisports activities in order to enhance the experience for fans around the world.

WiggleWireless delivers relevant content directly to mobile phone users how they want it, when they want it, wherever they are. WiggleWireless is the only way to connect Ironman participants and fans alike to the most up-to-date race coverage, from athlete progress to event updates to the latest news.