He spends his days weighing life-altering verdicts in a demanding profession, but High Court judge Kevin Ramcharan’s toughest opponent is usually the clock.
At 51, he manages the legal pressure of the bench by diving into open water, cycling gruelling miles, and pounding the pavement as a triathlete.
Sounds arduous? Well, that’s because it is.
On July 19, he took it up a notch, competing in the Ironman 70.3 in Ohio, in the United States, a half-Ironman spanning a 1.9km swim in choppy conditions, a 90km bike through rural Erie and Sandusky counties, and a 21.1km run through the historic downtown.
It was his fourth 70.3 event and came with immediate hurdles. He and his team arrived to find hazardous air quality from heavy smoke and haze that grounded outdoor training for the first few days. Thankfully, it cleared 48 hours beforehand, allowing them to fit in a couple of shorter sessions. However, on the morning of the competition, a rip current warning resulted in the swim being cancelled.
“Despite these challenges, the race went well, and I was fairly happy with my performance. My run could always be improved but it was fine.”
Allowing for rest and recovery
Building that kind of stamina takes months of meticulous preparation. He usually trains 11 hours a week; two months prior, it increases to around 12-13 hours with longer runs and bike rides. He begins tapering about two weeks out to allow his body to rest and recover. The Hugh Wooding Law School alumnus says engaging in physical activity has vastly improved his mental well-being in two distinct ways.
“Firstly it helps dissipate the stress of work, and secondly, it hones discipline. I also believe that it is very important to keep going especially as I’m getting older, with the attendant challenges. I am definitely fitter, more mobile and flexible than when I started.”
He also places a strong emphasis on recovery, saying, “I try to get a minimum of seven hours a night so that both the body and mind are healthy and not overworked.”
Ramcharan may be on to something. Research suggests that regular endurance training helps lower resting health markers, improves blood vessel function, and releases endorphins that ease stress.
Finding the balance
“There wasn’t one thing that inspired me,” he says when asked how he got into the three-pronged sport. He was a strong swimmer at QRC and did a fair amount of spinning and mountain bike riding in his 20s.
Around 30, the idea first popped into his head to do a triathlon, but he didn’t act on it for years until a friend sent an invitation to his current club’s ‘why not Tri’ programme in 2018.
“That was to get first-time triathletes to do the rainbow cup in Tobago,” he explains, “I didn’t finish that race because of severe cramps but I was hooked.”
Today, he still loves swimming the most, though stats point to cycling as his strongest leg. Running, however, presents a constant battle, especially after he suffered a non-triathlon-related ruptured quadriceps tendon in 2022 that required immense mental fortitude to overcome. Coming back from that injury ranks among his biggest milestones, alongside completing multiple 70.3 races and earning his Level 1 coach certification from World Triathlon in 2024.
Seeing club members compete well into their 60s, and remembering his uncle who raced into his 80s, showed him that multisport training can be a lifelong path.
There’s a trade-off that comes with performing at that high level, though. It leaves little room for a social life. Juggling court alongside triathlons as well as singing in the Marionettes Chorale means everything else takes a backseat.
“My schedule is training, work, training, choir, work, training, and so on. Fortunately I enjoy all of them, so I don’t feel that I’m missing out,” he reasons.
“Also, it helps that the triathlon club (XO Multisport) is like a family who are there to provide support of all kinds.”
Ramcharan encourages everyone to try a triathlon of any distance at least once in their lives. You won’t regret it, he assures. “The absolute best way would be to join a club. There you can get into a structured programme with proper coaching. It is thanks to the coaches at XO, Derek Daniel and Aliya Drakes, that I have been able to achieve what I have without injury. Shameless plug, XO is having a novice event at the end of November, that would be a great place to see if it’s for you,” he jokes.
Up next, Ramcharan plans to tackle a full Ironman—double the 70.3 distance—within a year or two, while also rebuilding his running speed to pre-injury levels. “At the end of the day, keeping active with a group of great people is worth its weight in gold,” he concludes.
