Kelly will form part of the Bathurst Wallabies Triathlon Club’s contingent which will tackle the gruelling Port Macquarie Ironman on Sunday, a race consisting of a 3.86km swim, 180km cycle and 42.2km run.

Organisers call it “one of the sport's most storied courses” – certainly not something a sporting sloth would take on.

“My nickname was sloth and I’ve worked hard to lose that nickname, but it keeps popping up from time-to-time,” Kelly said.

“It’s been a good thing and a life changing thing for me … I was sloth and I was close to 40 kilos more than what I am now when I started doing triathlon.

“I’m certainly not good at any of the three sports, so persistence is the key and just being willing to have a go.

“It now seems normal to get up a four o’clock in the morning to go for a bike ride.

“I was riding on a Saturday morning and riding past people who were walking home from a night out. I had a quite chuckle at how much my life has changed.”

Kelly will not be the only Bathurst triathlete to make his Ironman debut, with Kath Malligan and Nick Hosking to do the half course and Mark Burns plus husband and wife Luke and Danielle Patterson the full Port Macquarie race.

On top of that, fellow Bathurst Wallabies Andrew Burke and Nick North will make another appearance at the event.

“It’s actually really good numbers for us to have going,” Kelly, who is president of the Bathurst Wallabies, said.

“It is probably the most prestigious one [Ironman]. There’s one in Cairns a couple of weeks later, there’s this one and there’s one in Western Australia in December. There are only three Ironman races in Australia.

“Six first-timers, it is something new for all of us, especially those of us doing the full distance.

“It is something we’ve been working towards for a few years. Whether we decided individually or talked each other into it, I’m not really sure. I set a plan to do this a fair while ago and it was easier when others wanted to come and do it as well.”

In the build up to their Ironman debut, the Pattersons, Burns and Kelly spent countless hours training together.

“It’s been absolutely fantastic with Mark, Luke, Danielle and I able to talk to each other. It’s only one day the event, but there’s certainly a lot of time in preparation put into it,” Kelly said.

“Training has been different from week to week, but we’ve done things like 200 kilometre rides, three-and-a-half hours runs. We’ve done three hour bike rides followed by a run, we’ve done so many different things.”

As for the goal come Sunday, Kelly said the main priority for himself and his fellow Wallabies is to finish.

“I go into it with no other expectation than wanting to finish. The nerves are there, it’s going to be a very, very long day. I’m nervous yes, but also excited about what lies ahead, just the challenge,” he said.

“My goal is for 15 hours, so it’s certainly not a fast thing you go out and do.”