SNOPEK: MAN OF IRON : AFTER MANY FALSE STARTS, CZECH RUNNER COMPLETES HAWAIIAN TRIATHLON.

Byline: Ronni Ross

When Jaro Snopek returned to his West Hills home after successfully completing the Ironman triathlon World Championship last month in Hawaii, he had fulfilled more than an athletic goal.

As Snopek crossed the finish line in nine hours, 42 minutes and 27 seconds, he proudly waved two flags - American and Czechoslovakian - and was overcome with emotion. It was the culmination of years of sacrifice, struggling and disappointment, which ranged from training for Olympic Games - that his native Czechoslovakia wound up boycotting - and simultaneously planning his defection to a debilitating illness, injuries and the traumatic death of his training partner.

``I had tears in my eyes the last half-mile,'' he said. ``It was like a summation of all I had to go through to get to this race. When I knew I was going to achieve my goal, and the crowd was cheering, it just lifted me up. You feel no pain.''

Snopek, 36, never gave up on his long journey to the 2.4-mile ocean swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run. That determination is what helped him endure the difficulties he has faced in life.

Snopek's long road to Ironman began when he was a young boy, at the time when communism reigned in Czechoslovakia and Snopek's family was denied even the most basic privileges because his father was a known protester. Snopek, however, had a talent that made him an asset to his country - he could swim.

He started swimming at age 6 and by 1982 became a member of the national team. Snopek spent many hours training for the 1984 Olympics and plotting his defection.

But in 1983, Czechoslovakia decided to boycott the Summer Games in Los Angeles. Snopek was devastated. He quit swimming, but in 1985, he tried something new: triathlon. He had never even completed a marathon before but placed second in this first attempt. Several months and a handful of triathlons later, Snopek entered Czechoslovakia's version of the Ironman and won the race.

As exhilarating as his successes were, Snopek said he needed more - his freedom. He rekindled his plan to defect, telling no one for fear of endangering family and friends.

After graduating in 1987 from Charles University in Prague, Snopek defected, leaving the country with only the clothes on his back.

His complicated escape involved traveling on two cruise ships, a train, meeting with a priest on the border of Italy and Austria for instructions and finally a six-hour hike over the mountains. When he finally reached Austria, he was placed in a camp with thousands of other refugees, all of whom were waiting for a country to accept them.

Nearly two years later, Snopek was granted a visa to live and work permanently in the United States, and he wound up in Los Angeles.

``I knew I was blessed to be in the United States, but it was a great emotional strain adjusting to my new country's language and culture,'' said Snopek. ``Athletics helped me cross the social bridge.''

Here he became close friends with another triathlete and began to train and compete more seriously. In 1990, he became a county lifeguard, and for the first time, was financially secure. But as his training intensified, Snopek said he began feeling weak and his energy level decreased significantly.

In 1991, he learned the source of his ill health: a hyperactive thyroid. Snopek eventually underwent surgery to correct the problem, but it left him with a huge medical bill.

To help ease his debt, Snopek took on second and third jobs. He began working nights at Trader Joe's in Canoga Park and became a coach and lifeguard at Pierce College.

``As hectic as my life was, I was finally beginning to feel like I belonged,'' he said. But then he received an emotional blow - his close friend and fellow triathlete died of a heart attack.

Saddened but not defeated, Snopek decided in 1994 to dedicate himself to one goal: qualifying for the Hawaii Ironman. Ten days before his qualifying race, he was knocked off his bicycle and ended up with seven stitches in his knee. Despite the pain, Snopek competed in the race, but missed qualifying by two spots.

There were problems in 1995, too.

Minutes before the qualifying race, fog rolled in over the ocean and officials altered the swim distance from 1.2 miles to .7 mile, a disadvantage for Snopek, since swimming is his strongest event. At the end, Snopek again missed qualifying by two spots.

In October 1995, again disaster struck, as he was hit by another car while cycling. His bike was totaled, but his wounds were superficial, and in May 1996, he competed in another qualifying event. This time, he succeeded.

Once in Hawaii for the Oct. 26 event, Snopek proved that his qualifying was not a fluke. His finish time placed him 152nd overall in a field of 1,421 athletes, and once again the road to success involved overcoming obstacles and fears, including anxiousness over kicking and shoving in the swim event, a three-minute penalty for drafting in the biking portion and then a chain that fell off and began skipping after he fixed it.

Back home he was able to reflect on his lifelong journey to the finish line.

``Many people don't understand the extremes of a triathlon,'' he said. ``To some, the journey to the Ironman seems (like) pointless pain; for others it is the fulfillment of a wonderful dream.

``For me, qualifying for the Ironman was a long, hard trip on the road to ultimate freedom.''

Extra laps: Other local athletes who completed the 1996 Ironman Triathlon World Championship include: Roy Ashford of Pasadena (11:19:18); Sean Boyd, Glendale (9:48:54); Robert Brady, Westlake Village (11:45:17) and Erika Coble, Santa Paula (13:18:24).

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Photo: No Caption (Jaro Snopek)