What does it mean for you to come in second in the 2011/12 IronMan series beating some world class contenders such as Shannon Eckstein and Ky Hurst?

Coming 2nd in this years series was a very special thing for me. I have always dreamt of racing in the series as a young kid and also to race the likes of Shannon and Ky. Just to be in the series is so good but to place in it was another thing. I look back on it now and I still can't believe it real, it will be something I'll never forget.

We see the Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain ads on TV showing the strength needed to compete and win an IronMan series. Do you follow a specific nutrition program to give you ‘the edge’ over other competitors?

Being a Ironman that trains 3 times a day 6 days a week for 10 months of the year our nutrition has to be spot on. When I was about 12 I got diagnosed with Ceolic disease, which means I'm allergic to wheat/gluten products. This has been a real challenge trying to find foods to give the most energy so that I can train at my best and race at my best. There have been times where it has been really hard especially travelling. I don't think it gives you a competitive edge but I think that it keeps you from eating junk food simply because you can't.

What does your weekly training schedule look like during the peak of the Surf Ironman Series?
During the series our training load isn't as big as the pre season. We spend a lot of time in between races resting, getting massages, seeing physios and doing ice baths.

But we mainly swim 4 times a week, alternate between ski, board and ironman in the afternoons and run every afternoon after training. The training during peak summer is all at low intensity, so we can recover our body for next weeks race. We use the training as active recovery.

People know about the gruelling endurance needed in marathons, the severity of summiting Everest and the tenacity required in the Tour de France. How would you compare the Surf IronMan series to such endurance events?

Its very hard to compare to something like the Tour de France or doing a marathon because I've never done either. I think it's a pretty tough sport in the way that you need to be 90% good at 4 disciplines - swimming, running, board paddling and surf skis. Then you need to be able to put the four legs together in a race where there can be wind and 6 foot of surf. I have the most respect for marathon runners and the guys that ride in the Tour each year, they are tough guys!

At 21, you're younger than most of the big boys in the business. What is game plan going forward?

There is no real game plan to move forward. This year I learned so much, it was a very big learning curve for me. I go in to next year the same as I always have, train hard in the winter don't miss sessions and commit 100% to the program Kingy gives me. But at the end of the day just keep it simple take session by session and week by week then race by race.

Looking back to your early days, balancing school and training for Ironman events must have had its challenges. How did you get that balance right and what was it like being in the national spotlight while you were still at school?

When I look back now I can't believe I juggled school and Ironman at the same time. It did have its moments, but it taught me a lot about being organised and time management. I suppose I loved training so much and I loved going to school so It wasn't too bad at the end of the day. It was pretty embarrassing at school at the time being on TV and in the news and stuff, all the boys gave me a bit of stick but it was all funny.

Now that you’re a full time professional athlete, is there any time for other hobbies or sports? What other sports do you enjoy in your ‘downtime’?

At the moment I use my down time to go to Uni and study sport and exercise science. In my downtime I love nothing else than going surfing for a day, I suppose anything in and around the water I love.

We hear on the grapevine that you would like to branch out into acting one day. Do you have any particular genre in mind? Action movies maybe?

This was actually a joke I made in another interview I did. But in all honesty I thought it would be really cool to be an actor or TV presenter one day.

Who are your sporting inspirations?

I love Brett Kirk who played AFL for the Swans, because he was tough, a great leader and a great bloke. And my other being Novak Djkovic the tennis player. I love him because his ability to deal with pressure, how he works so hard and because of the dedication he has showed the last few years. Would love to meet both of them one day.

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Find out what extreme measures Surf Ironman Matt Poole went to in the 2011/12 Surf Ironman Series pre-season. He finished up 6th overall.