AGAWAM, Mass. (WGGB/WSHM) - It has been a little bit more than 72 hours since the conclusion of this year’s Ironman 70.3 in western Massachusetts. This year’s winner: a brave first responder from Agawam. Now, he is reflecting on his victory in his first tv interview since crossing the finish line. Western Mass News spoke exclusively with him and shared his path to success.

A moment that will live on forever for one of western Mass’ finest. During the day, Mike Consolini is a firefighter with the Agawam Fire Department — a station he has served for almost ten years.

Outside of work, he is an athlete, working out and training for races, especially triathlons like the half and full ironman’s. On Sunday, his hard work paid off, finishing first in his age group and overall in the 4th annual Ironman 70.3 Western Massachusetts, “you trust the plan that you have, and you believe in yourself that you put the work in, and you’re going to be able to perform,” Consolini said.

The result Consolini was hoping for did not come without some obstacles. Last year, he crossed the tape first but was placed third overall because two others had finished the race at a better time. While preparing for this year’s race, he hit some setbacks, including knee issues and dealing with the flu.

Despite the swimming leg getting cancelled for the second consecutive year, Consolini was able to complete the race without any issues, finishing with a time of 03:30:14. One of the secrets to his sauce: putting some of his firefighter training to use, “we do have a treadmill, and I’ll jump on there. But usually, we have to be ready to go out the door if a call comes in, so that’s the days that you might do weight training.”

As soon as he hit that tape, Consolini was embraced by his wife, Melissa, and his kids — he’s even earned praise from his colleagues at the fire station, “we all like to rub each other a little bit, so of course it’s starting and I’m sure it will go on for a little while. That’s just how it is in the firehouse,” said Deputy Chief Frank Matuszczak of the Agawam Fire Department.

Consolini earned the nicknames “Flash” and “Iron Mike.” One shining moment he shared with dozens of family members, friends and teammates. For those looking to participate in something like this in the future, Consolini said a key goal is to believe in yourself, “don’t try to do it on your own. Trying to do it on your own is just going to be overwhelming, and you’re going to make mistakes and learn lessons along the way. But having a support team is huge.”

For “Iron Mike” Consolini, he is not done racing for the year just yet — he plans to compete in another half Ironman in Maine this coming July, followed by the full Ironman World Championships in October. Consolini also looks to defend his western Mass. title next year.

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