Mike Healey emerges from the water after completing the first leg of the Welland triathlon Sunday. The 23-year-old completed the course in a time of 1:46.35, good enough for 32nd spot among the 176 finishers.

Mike Healey's athletic career has taken a different direction.

The Port Colborne native grew up playing baseball and hockey, making a name for himself as a solid defenceman for the hometown Sailors.

He'll still put on the blades now and then, but these days you're more likely to find him riding a bike, jogging or going for a swim.

Perhaps even all three in the same day.

That was the case last Sunday when the 23-year-old completed the Welland triathlon in a time of 1:46.35, good enough for 32nd spot among the 176 finishers.

Nicholas Kolodzie of Oshawa was the winner in a time of 1:26.49.

For Healey, his result was not bad, considering it was just a year ago he was competing in the sport for the first time.

"Last year I did the Try a Tri and that was a big challenge for me just to finish that," said Healey. "I struggled in the water and thought was I was going to die. Now, to be doing the full this year? I'm pretty proud of myself.

"Today, I had one of my best swims and a great bike, it was fun to do the 30K, and the run was good."

Healey was one of several athletes who became confused during the run and ended up running to far, but could even find humor in that.

"It was kind of neat and even though there wasn't a marker and a lot of people were getting confused, it kind of added to the atmosphere because you're out there kind of almost half laughing about the whole thing."

With baseball and hockey on the backburner, Healey enjoys his new challenges which include working as a personal trainer.

"All my buddies think I'm nuts, but I really do enjoy it," he says. "It's a great way to stay in shape. Instead of just running on the treadmill and wondering, 'what am I doing this for?', you have a goal."

The Welland triathlon was just the second full triathlon Healey has ever taken part in and the first of three he hopes to complete this summer. Living and working in Sherkston, he trains in the quarry and looks forward to the next challenge.

"It's awesome," he says with a smile. "I'm training for the Ironman, but that's a ways down the road yet."

The second annual Welland triathlon finished amidst some controversy when an error on the running course meant some of the triathletes going too far and others not far enough.

The race's technical director, Jason Vurma, addressed the issue after the race and took full responsibility for the error and did his best to offer an explanation.

"There was an error on the run course today that caused a lot of people's race experience to go down the tubes," said Vurma. "It was my error, I didn't give clear enough instructions before the race about what you might expect to see at the turn around and not giving clear enough instructions to my staff member who was in that area.

"It was my error, it ultimately comes down to the person who is in charge and that's me."

Vurma said it was five years ago in Parry Sound since anything similar happened when the wind blew down a sign pointing racers across a bridge.

"This is not the norm for our races. We take a great deal of pride in what we do and we also take a great deal of pride in being accountable for what we did or didn't do," he said.Vurma acknowledged that there was little he could do to adjust the times of the runners who ran too far, but the times of the runners who did not go far enough could be altered and he assured them they would not be disqualified.

He also offered a $10 discount to the next race to any athlete affected by the mistake.

Kolodzie edged out Niagara Regional Police officer and defending champ Jim Sunners of Niagara Falls who completed the 750-metre swim, 30-kilometre bike race and the run in 1:28.23. Sunners was the first triathlete to enter the arena, but because of the staggered start to the swim he wasn't sure about where he would ultimately end up.

He also turned out to be somewhat of a prophet.

"There was a bit of a mix up on the run course, they changed it and today's course had a loop in it. A lot of people carried on past the loop and ran last year's course. There's a going to be a lot of confusion," said Sunners.