Episode 61: Stories behind the start line with Aaron Fleming

Back-of-the-pack can still mean world-class determination. Aaron Fleming has raced Ironman 23 times, earned a spot at Kona through Ironman’s Legacy Programme, and turned a teenage lung surgery into a decades-long mission of resilience, purpose, and persistence. Steph sits down with the Queenstown age-group athlete to unpack how a one-and-done race in 2006 became a life defined by start lines, finish lines, and the stubborn belief that dreams are worth chasing. Aaron shares how major lung surgery at 16, years of recovery, and a brutal diagnosis that he’d never physically exert himself again became the fuel for everything that followed. From his first run of four lampposts to completing the Ironman distance across all six continents. Along the way, he reflects on the people who shaped his journey, including longtime announcer Mike Riley, who helped make his path through the sport even more meaningful. And with Kona finally here, this episode carries extra weight: Aaron’s mother, who stood by his hospital bedside and has watched so many of his finish lines, will be there in person alongside his sister. If you love stories of resilience, endurance, and what it really means to keep going when the odds say you shouldn’t, this one belongs on your list.