One Man’s 14-Year-Old Trek Madone is His Perfect World Championship Ride

It takes a lot for a bike to stand out among the sea of new, shiny, obscenely aero Canyons, Cervélos, and Treks that roll down the red (and white and black) carpet at bike check-in the day before the Ironman World Championship in Kona. Typically, you’d have to show up at check-in with a bike from a brand no one has ever heard of or a custom bike with a one-of-a-kind paint job or unique custom components to create a buzz.

Or you could roll up with a 2014 Trek Madone 5.2 H2 Compact, like Kona rookie Aaron Fleming of New Zealand. It’s not the obvious choice for any Ironman, let alone a world championship. But it’s an intentional choice because it’s the bike Fleming rode in his first Ironman, six years after he was told he’d never be able to physically exert himself again.

“In 2000, when I was 16-years-old, I suffered a spontaneous pneumothorax, which is a lung collapse caused by air leaking into the space between the lung and the chest wall. It wasn’t caused by an injury or anything. It just collapsed and wouldn’t stay inflated,” says Fleming, who spent the better part of his 16th year in the hospital and underwent major surgery on his lung, twice.

The doctors told him he’d never be able to physically exert himself again. “That was hard to hear as someone who was a competitive gymnast. But those words became my fuel.”

After five years, Fleming recovered enough to attempt a “lamp post run,” using street lamp posts to alternate between running and walking.

“I couldn’t even carry a bag on my back, but I was determined to prove everyone wrong and do an Ironman one day,” says Fleming, who finished Ironman New Zealand in 2006 on the very same Trek Madone.

The original Shimano drive train, bottle cages, Bontrager components, decades old Bento Box, and faded pads on the aero bars he attached to the Madone all underscore Fleming’s message: “People can knock you down with their words. Don’t let those voices stop you from believing in and living your dream. Don’t let anyone tell you need perfect health and the most cutting edge bike to go after your dreams.”

“All you need is a bit of resilience and a strong mindset. That’s my strongest muscle, up here,” Fleming says, tapping on his bike helmet.

The teenager who was once told that his sport would be sitting on the couch has since gone on to finish 22 Ironmans, 19 of which were on the Trek Madone. To celebrate his Ironman achievements, Fleming has a classic M-dot calf tattoo. He also has a tattoo between his scars from the lung surgeries that says “There’s no gravity to hold me down,” a reminder to refuse to let setbacks define what is possible.

Over the past two decades, Fleming has raced on all six continents that host Ironman events, finished Ironman New Zealand 14 times, raced at the World Championships in Nice, France, and even been an Olympic Torch Bearer for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. He’s also raised over $40,000 for various charities, with a significant portion benefiting the Cystic Fibrosis Association.

“Twenty-one years ago, all I wanted to do was complete an Ironman,” says Fleming, who works with the Department of Conservation in New Zealand. “Then I did one, and another, and another. Until one goal remained: The Ironman World Championship in Kona. I knew that if I just tried to get to Kona, then I had already won. It is bloody cool to try.”

In 2024, Fleming nabbed his Ironman Legacy spot. After validating it with a race, he is finally lining up with 2,548 other athletes on October 10. The 2026 Ironman World Championship will be Fleming’s 23rd Ironman and his first and last time racing in Kona.

“It won’t be my last Ironman but it will be the last one that I’ll travel overseas for,” Fleming says. Since his Ironman journey began, Fleming has seen the bikes and the sport evolve significantly. But he’s refused to let that change or define him.

“I remain an athlete showing up with my humble gear, but with the strongest attitude and mindset. My journey is proof that just because you are told you can’t do something with this condition or that bike doesn’t mean it’s not possible,” Fleming says.

“While Ironman is an individual sport, it’s never been just about me. I’m fortunate to have had the best support over the years,” Fleming says. “It’s also been a journey to help others. You’ll find me in the back of the pack, racing to raise money for kids who are also limited by lung conditions. Most of all, I’m racing for 16-year old me tomorrow.”