Race 4: South America –

“The Scare Test”

Race 4: South America – “The Scare Test”

Race 3: South Africa – “The Solo Test”

On June 1, 2025, Race 4 of the Road to Six brought me to the vibrant streets of Florianópolis, Brazil—a race I arrived at with more fear than fitness. After nearly six weeks of stillness, my training had all but disappeared. My body needed rest, but my mind wrestled with doubt. I stood on the start line unsure if I had enough—physically or mentally—to make it through.

Finishing in 11:28:28, I faced chaos in the Atlantic, a near-breakdown on the bike, and a brutal run that tested everything I had left. But this race wasn’t just about suffering—it was about surrender. About trusting the body that had once been sick, and the spirit that refused to give up. In that surrender, I found something steadier than strength: I found the will to keep going anyway.

Brazil reminded me that fear isn’t a stop sign—it’s a mirror. The edge is where life begins.

Four down, two continents to go. The journey continues.

LOCATION

Florianopolis, South America

DATE

1st June, 2025

TIME

11:28:28

ABOUT THE RACE

ABOUT THE RACE

A Few Words from me

A Few Words from me

Fear set in long before the start line. People say they’re not ready for a race—but this time, I wasn’t.

When the gun went off, it only got louder.

The swim was chaos—arms slicing, bodies climbing over me.

The bike felt like a tightrope—112 miles shared with cars, a flimsy line of cones our only buffer.

The run—four loops of survival. Every step was a fight to breathe, to move, to hush the fear clawing at my mind.

At mile 80 on the bike, I cracked.
My vision tunneled. Chills down my spine. Sweat pouring.
I panicked—afraid I’d crossed a line I couldn’t come back from.

But then I thought of 2023 Ari—sick, stuck in bed, praying for a moment like this.
A heart pounding with purpose, legs that burned, and a shot at life.

Still, guilt crept in. That quiet question endurance athletes know all too well:
How far is too far?

Out there, fear doesn’t disappear. You carry it. You decide to keep going anyway.

And somehow, I walked away with a 33 minute PR


My mantra was clear:

“Become a force of nature by surrendering to your own.”

To surrender to your own nature—your fear, fatigue, need for rest—is to honor what you need. 

Those six still weeks before Brazil weren’t weakness. They were surrender.

Proof that listening to your body is sometimes the bravest thing you can do.

Race 4 was where I met my edge—where only your why remains.

Ironman Brazil reminded me: real fear is where we meet ourselves.

Fear isn’t the enemy. It’s proof you’re alive.

So if you’re standing at the edge of something that scares you—
Let it be your invitation.
Feel the fear. Lean in. 

And find out how alive you really are.

Fear set in long before the start line. People say they’re not ready for a race—but this time, I wasn’t.

When the gun went off, it only got louder.

The swim was chaos—arms slicing, bodies climbing over me.

The bike felt like a tightrope—112 miles shared with cars, a flimsy line of cones our only buffer.

The run—four loops of survival. Every step was a fight to breathe, to move, to hush the fear clawing at my mind.

At mile 80 on the bike, I cracked.
My vision tunneled. Chills down my spine. Sweat pouring.
I panicked—afraid I’d crossed a line I couldn’t come back from.

But then I thought of 2023 Ari—sick, stuck in bed, praying for a moment like this.
A heart pounding with purpose, legs that burned, and a shot at life.

Still, guilt crept in. That quiet question endurance athletes know all too well:
How far is too far?

Out there, fear doesn’t disappear. You carry it. You decide to keep going anyway.

And somehow, I walked away with a 33 minute PR


My mantra was clear:

“Become a force of nature by surrendering to your own.”

To surrender to your own nature—your fear, fatigue, need for rest—is to honor what you need. 

Those six still weeks before Brazil weren’t weakness. They were surrender.

Proof that listening to your body is sometimes the bravest thing you can do.

Race 4 was where I met my edge—where only your why remains.

Ironman Brazil reminded me: real fear is where we meet ourselves.

Fear isn’t the enemy. It’s proof you’re alive.

So if you’re standing at the edge of something that scares you—
Let it be your invitation.
Feel the fear. Lean in. 

And find out how alive you really are.

-Ariana

-Ariana

Redefine what's possible

Redefine what's possible

Every step of this journey is fueled by belief—belief in resilience, in dreaming boldly, and in rising stronger. Your support doesn’t just power my Road to Six; it helps inspire others to see that no setback is too great and no dream is too big. Together, we can prove that the human spirit knows no limits.

Every step of this journey is fueled by belief—belief in resilience, in dreaming boldly, and in rising stronger. Your support doesn’t just power my Road to Six; it helps inspire others to see that no setback is too great and no dream is too big. Together, we can prove that the human spirit knows no limits.

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