Treading on a spiky sea urchin in Hawaii didn't stop Ironman athlete Braden Currie JOSEPH PEARSON IN TAUPOGETTY IMAGES Braden Currie won Ironman New Zealand last year and defends his title in Taupo on Saturday. The grisly pain of spiky sea urchin spines through Braden Currie's foot didn't stop the defending champion of Ironman New Zealand in leading the sport's Holy Grail event in Hawaii last October. "I had a bit of a rough week leading up to the race – two days before I managed to stand on a sea urchin on a chunk of coral. A doctor helped pluck out most of the sea urchin's long, sharp spines, but some had to remain in Currie's foot for the gruelling three-part marathon. But he said his unpleasant sea urchin experience didn't affect his performance.

Source: Stuff March 02, 2018 02:05 UTC