Six years after he underwent a harrowing bone marrow transplant, which included a 22-day stint isolated in a medical ward, Mr Konia will be among the record field of 1200 athletes on the Challenge Wanaka start line this morning.
His personal experience battling cancer has been a motivating factor for him to help others facing the disease.
Mr Konia's Challenge Wanaka goal is to raise funds for the Child Cancer Foundation and, helped by his wife, Gena Bagley, he has banked $5500 towards their effort.
The couple have a 2-year-old daughter, Scarlett, who was conceived naturally despite his gruelling rounds of chemotherapy and radiation treatment.
The thought of "being a kid and facing cancer" has spurred their fundraising mission, which has been conducted through a George Konia portal link at the website www.fundraiseonline.co.nz.
"It is hard enough facing cancer as an adult, let alone having your child undergo the same thing."
Mr Konia decided to enter Challenge Wanaka 13 weeks ago as part of a "full circle" celebration to complete a second long-distance triathlon 13 years after his first Ironman in Taupo.
"I'm celebrating coming out of a very hard time, both physically and emotionally, and doing this race is my way of celebrating being back to full health."
Mr Konia and Mrs Bagley met in Dunedin four years before he was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma, a cancer that affects white blood cells.
He underwent several operations to try to identify why he was sick before a correct diagnosis forced the pair to postpone their wedding day as he underwent a first round of chemo treatment.
A relapse in 2005 "almost a year to the day" after his initial treatment meant Mr Konia underwent a bone marrow transplant.
This involved a second round of chemotherapy, administered while he spent a 22-day stint isolated in a medical ward receiving twice-daily doses of a radioactive chemical to kill all of his white blood cells.
"Effectively, you are chemically killed before being biologically resuscitated as they transplant bone marrow in you," he said.
Mr Konia is upbeat about the long day ahead of him and unconcerned about the solitary nature of the challenging event, given his five-year fight to regain full fitness.
"This is one of the pinnacle events anyone can do in terms of fitness.
"There is a saying 'once an ironman, always an ironman'. It's the ultimate test," he said.
