IRON MAN NİHAT AYDIN
Turkey's First Triathlete and a Pioneer of Sports in Eskişehir
28 June 1947 – 1 May 2012
The story of a remarkable sportsman who introduced triathlon to Turkey, learned to swim as an adult and went on to become a swimming instructor, helped develop cycling in Eskişehir, and devoted much of his life to making sport accessible to others.
Nihat Aydın holds a special place in the history of triathlon in Turkey. In 1988, he completed an Olympic-distance triathlon trial in Eskişehir, combining swimming, cycling, and running, and became recognized as Turkey's first triathlete.
Yet Aydın's story extends far beyond that historic day. He was also a long-distance runner, cyclist, swimming instructor, sports administrator, and event organizer. He worked to develop several sports in Eskişehir, particularly cycling, arm wrestling, and tennis.
The documentary Demir Adam (Iron Man), featuring accounts from his family, friends, and fellow athletes, reveals a man who pursued not only his own sporting achievements but also devoted his time, energy, and personal resources to helping others participate in sport.
Early Life in Eskişehir
Nihat Aydın was born on 28 June 1947 in Eskişehir, Turkey. He completed his primary and secondary education in his hometown before entering the Department of Journalism at Istanbul University in 1968. He graduated in 1971.
After completing his military service as a reserve officer in Silvan, Diyarbakır, he returned to Eskişehir in 1973. There, he became one of the founders of the newspaper Son Olay.
His journalism career was followed by further education abroad. He was admitted to Ruhr University Bochum in Germany for postgraduate studies. Tomris, who would later become his wife, also studied at the same university.
Nihat and Tomris returned to Turkey in 1975 and married that year. They had two sons, Evren and Deniz.
For a period, Aydın worked as a journalist while also helping run the family's clothing business. He eventually left journalism to manage the family enterprise.
During these years, sport began to occupy an increasingly important place in his life.
The Man Who Preferred Running to Walking
Long-distance running was initially at the heart of Nihat Aydın's sporting life.
According to those who knew him, running was not simply a way of preparing for competitions; it was an essential part of his daily routine. He was known to run to work, train over long distances with friends, and practice several sports throughout the day.
His wife, Tomris Aydın, also took up running alongside him and eventually participated in masters athletics competitions.
Nihat Aydın competed in various athletics events in Turkey and abroad. The documentary Demir Adam mentions the Berlin Marathon, a Balkan championship in which he represented Turkey, and the European Masters Athletics Championships in Budapest among the international events in which he participated.
Over time, cycling and swimming joined running as central elements of his athletic life.
These three disciplines would eventually give him a distinctive place in Turkish sporting history.
Learning to Swim as an Adult
One of the most remarkable aspects of Nihat Aydın's life was his relationship with swimming.
According to his wife Tomris, he was not yet a proficient swimmer in 1975. During a summer holiday, he learned the basic techniques from someone who could swim and then began working to improve his abilities.
Over the years, he became a swimming instructor and coach. The documentary also recounts that he swam across the Bosphorus during the 1990s.
His progression from learning to swim as an adult to teaching others reflects his determination to master unfamiliar disciplines.
For Aydın, not knowing how to practice a sport was never a sufficient reason to avoid trying it.
Discovering a New Sport in a Magazine: Triathlon
During the 1980s, triathlon was still largely unknown in Turkey.
The endurance sport, which combines swimming, cycling, and running in continuous succession, was developing in different parts of the world.
According to his family's recollections, Nihat Aydın first encountered triathlon while on a summer holiday.
His wife Tomris recalls that they discovered the sport in a foreign magazine and that Aydın immediately became excited. After all, the three disciplines involved were sports he already practiced.
Upon returning to Eskişehir, he began adapting his training to prepare for the challenge.
However, physical preparation was only part of the task ahead.
He also needed to explain the unfamiliar sport to local authorities, arrange for the event to be supervised, and ensure that his attempt would be documented.
15 June 1988: A Historic Triathlon Trial in Eskişehir
According to the documentary Demir Adam, Nihat Aydın carried out his Olympic-distance triathlon trial in Eskişehir on 15 June 1988.
The event consisted of three consecutive stages:
1.5 kilometres of swimming
40 kilometres of cycling
10 kilometres of running
The total distance was 51.5 kilometres, with the three disciplines completed in succession.
According to Tomris Aydın, preparations for the event were largely organized through personal effort. Local sports officials were contacted, referees from the relevant disciplines were involved, and journalists were invited to document the attempt.
The swimming, cycling, and running stages were monitored by officials, and the result was recorded.
The Turkish Triathlon Federation's historical account states that Aydın completed the trial in 2 hours, 59 minutes, and 43 seconds.
He thus became recognized as Turkey's first triathlete.
The historical importance of this achievement was not limited to the distance covered or the finishing time. At a time when triathlon had no established institutional structure in Turkey, an individual athlete had taken the initiative to introduce and demonstrate a new sporting discipline.
Aydın's achievement also attracted media attention. In subsequent years, he appeared in television programmes to explain triathlon and help raise awareness of the sport.
The Alanya Competitions and International Participation
The next important stage in the development of triathlon in Turkey came with the establishment of international competitions in Alanya.
The international triathlon event held in Alanya in 1991 helped introduce the sport to a wider audience in Turkey.
Nihat Aydın was among the athletes who participated in the Alanya competitions.
The documentary Demir Adam states that he finished first in the masters category during the event's second year.
Meanwhile, the international athlete database maintained by World Triathlon records Aydın competing in the men's elite category at the Alanya European Cup on 22 October 1992. He finished 109th with a time of 2 hours, 39 minutes, and 47 seconds.
This record documents his participation in an international competition. The masters-category victory described in the documentary may refer to a separate age-group classification.
Aydın therefore continued his involvement in triathlon beyond his pioneering 1988 trial, participating in international competition as an athlete.
Revitalizing Cycling in Eskişehir
One of Nihat Aydın's most important contributions from Bisiklopedi's perspective was his work to develop cycling in Eskişehir.
According to athletes and friends interviewed in Demir Adam, Aydın made significant efforts to revitalize competitive cycling in the city during the early 1990s.
He served as the provincial representative for cycling and worked to develop young competitors, organize training sessions, and obtain the necessary equipment.
The documentary recounts that approximately 11 or 12 bicycles suitable for competition were brought to Eskişehir during the early stages of these efforts.
Regular training sessions followed. According to the recollections presented in the documentary, after approximately six months of preparation, local cyclists began winning medals in competitions.
However, Aydın's approach to cycling was not limited to developing competitive athletes.
One of his goals was to make cycling accessible to a much wider section of society.
Public Cycling Rides Attracting Thousands
According to testimonies in the documentary, Nihat Aydın helped organize public cycling rides in Eskişehir that attracted thousands of participants.
These events were intended to introduce cycling to people who were not competitive athletes and to give them the opportunity to experience riding together.
Organizing such activities was far from straightforward at the time. Routes had to be planned, traffic arrangements coordinated, official permissions obtained, announcements made, and participants brought together.
According to those close to him, Aydın sometimes covered organizational expenses using his own resources.
The documentary also states that he taught elective cycling courses at university.
These activities demonstrate two complementary aspects of his approach to cycling. On the one hand, he supported the development of competitive cycling. On the other, he wanted more people to incorporate cycling into their everyday lives.
Today, any effort to document the history of cycling culture in Eskişehir should also examine the period shaped by Nihat Aydın's contributions.
Supporting the Development of Multiple Sports
Nihat Aydın's involvement in sports administration extended far beyond cycling.
He worked as a swimming instructor, served as president of a tennis club, and held representative positions in several sporting disciplines.
He was among the pioneers who helped develop arm wrestling in Eskişehir. According to the documentary, he helped establish a training space with very limited resources and supported the organization of training sessions and the development of new athletes.
These efforts are described as having contributed to the emergence of athletes who later achieved success at national and international levels.
Aydın also served as a tennis club president in the early 1990s, helping organize tournaments, secure sponsorships, and promote tennis in Eskişehir.
The documentary additionally mentions his efforts to introduce and develop bocce in the city.
Taken together, these activities show that Aydın's commitment to sport was never confined to a single discipline.
A Commitment to Solidarity Beyond Sport
Another recurring theme in accounts of Nihat Aydın's life is the support he provided to young athletes.
In the documentary, one of his former athletes recalls that Aydın bought him a pair of sports shoes when he did not have suitable footwear for a competition.
Friends and colleagues describe how he supported athletes with limited financial resources, personally contributed to organizational expenses, and worked to help young people continue their sporting activities.
His generosity was not limited to sport.
Family members and friends recall that he provided food donations for people in need, cared for stray animals, and had a particular affection for animals.
These recollections suggest that Aydın was remembered not only for his achievements but also for his character and relationships with others.
1 May 2012: Remembering a Dedicated Sportsman
Nihat Aydın died on 1 May 2012.
Widely known within the sporting community of Eskişehir, his death was also reported in the local press. He was laid to rest in Eskişehir.
His legacy consisted of far more than race results, trophies, and medals. It included athletes whose development he had supported, events he had helped organize, and sporting disciplines he had worked to establish and promote.
The documentary Demir Adam, produced with contributions from his family, friends, and members of the sporting community, was presented in Eskişehir in 2014.
The film preserved memories of Aydın not only as an athlete but also as a teacher, organizer, and generous supporter of others.
The Legacy of Nihat Aydın
Nihat Aydın's place in Turkish sporting history is closely associated with his pioneering triathlon trial in 1988. The Turkish Triathlon Federation's historical account recognizes him as the country's first triathlete.
Yet a broader examination of his life reveals another important quality: Aydın did not regard sport merely as a means of achieving individual success.
His efforts to develop competitive cycling in Eskişehir, organize public cycling rides, support young athletes, and introduce new sporting disciplines demonstrate his commitment to the social value of sport.
After discovering triathlon in a foreign magazine, he took the initiative to attempt the sport using the resources available to him. Throughout his life, he continued to learn, teach, and promote different sporting activities.
The story of this athlete from Eskişehir, remembered as Turkey's first triathlete, also illustrates how individual initiative can contribute to the development of a city's sporting culture.
Nihat Aydın's legacy lives on not only in the races he finished, but also in the sporting journeys he helped others begin.
Sources
1. Demir Adam Nihat Aydın Documentary
A documentary about Nihat Aydın's life featuring recollections from his family, friends, and fellow athletes. It is a principal source for his education, triathlon trial, contributions to cycling, and personal history.
Watch the documentary on YouTube
2. Nihat Aydın – Turkey's First Triathlon Trial
Archival television footage featuring Nihat Aydın explaining triathlon in his own words, alongside coverage of the Alanya competitions.
3. Turkish Triathlon Federation – History
Historical information about the 1988 triathlon trial in Eskişehir and Aydın's recorded finishing time of 2:59:43.
4. World Triathlon – Nihat Aydın Athlete Profile
International athlete records and results relating to the 1992 Alanya European Cup.
World Triathlon athlete profile
5. İstikbal Newspaper – Eskişehir
Local press reports concerning Nihat Aydın's death and the presentation of the Demir Adam documentary.
Presentation of the documentary
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