Anyone Can Do It !

By far the most common reaction I get when people hear about my participation in Ironman triathlon is “That’s amazing! I could never do anything like that.” Although swimming 3.8 kms, then biking 180 kms, then running a full 42.2 kms marathon all in one day may seem like a daunting task, it really is something that anyone can do if they really commit to it.

In the book Going Long: Training for Triathlon’s Ultimate Challenge , elite triathlon coaches Joe Friel and Gordon Byrn say: “the truth is, anyone can do the distance if they want it badly enough”, and I agree. If you think that you’re too old, too young, too out of shape, too busy, or too nonathletic to do an Ironman, then here are some 2010 Ironman Louisville competitors that will prove you wrong.

Ken Fetters
Ironman and MS - for most people, these two ideas have no place in the same sentence. Ken Fetters isn't most people - he's an Ironman triathlete who just happens to have multiple sclerosis (MS). 43-years old, Ken battled constant health issues and numbness before being diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Most deservedly, Ford Ironman Louisville recognized Ken Fetters, of Portland, Oregon, with the 2010 Everyday Hero award. It's an award bestowed upon one athlete among thousands, at each of the eight full, Ford Ironman events, recognizing his or her significant contributions to a person, charity or organization while balancing the rigors of Ironman training. For the past two years, Ken has been a player and fundraiser for Team DefeatMS in Bend, Oregon. Funds raised by the Team were then given to the National MS Society in the name of MS research. In four years, they have raised more than $100,000 raised.

Kurt Kahl
73-year-old Kurt Kahl started competing in triathlons when he was 50. From Madison, Indiana Kirk was in Louisville to finish his 39th Ironman, 17 of those in Kona. "It’s not about your age," he said at the welcome dinner. "It’s about your training. My goal is to be there at 80, like my friend Bob Scott." (Bob was the oldest competitor in the race). He is another amazing athlete, setting the record for being the first person over 70 years of age to go under 12 hrs in Kona.

Zachary Phillips
A former high school football player, 18 year old Zachary Phillips was in a car accident a few years ago and is lucky to have come out of it alive. He spent three months in hospital after the crash - he only remembers one month of that time. "The doctors told me I would never do sports again," he says. Competing tomorrow is his way of proving those doctors wrong, but he's also using it as a chance to raise money for the hospital he spent all that time in. His brother started doing triathlons last year and, according to Zachary, "set the goals high." As the youngest competitor in tomorrow's race, Phillips has set some pretty high goals, but considering what he's already overcome, he seems ready to take those on here in Louisville.


Alex Kuhn
When Alex Kuhn found his weight was just under 300 lbs., he realized he had to make some changes.Since he works with the American Heart Association, he felt indebted to "live what I was preaching. It was hard for me to carry that message." Kuhn started walking, then started running. Now he says "marathons just weren't enough," which is why he was attracted to Ironman. He's lost 125 pounds in his journey to the Lousiville starting line.

Cassie Scull
19-year-old Cassie Scull got into multisport since she enjoyed swimming and running in high school. From New Jersey, she was the youngest woman in the race in Louisville. She’s one of four from her family racing in Louisville – she’ll start in the morning along with an aunt, uncle and cousin. She comes to the sport with a background as a swimmer and a runner, she had to learn the cycling.” “If I can do this, I can do anything,” she told us at the welcome dinner, when asked why she's racing here.

Heather Wajer
Single mom Heather, 37, once weighed 315 pounds. She made a bet with a coworker to see who could lose 40 pounds first, but didn’t stop there and lost 141 pounds during her Ironman training. When asked what made her set her sights on the Ironman, she replied: “You don’t get to 315 pounds by doing things in moderation.”

All of them finished the 2010 Louisville Ironman with me, and you can do it too.
I’ve met lots of other great soon-to-be Ironmen during my training and many of them aren’t what you’d expect a “typical triathlete” to look like. They are normal people with normal jobs and normal lives who decide that they want to push their limits and see what they can accomplish. Don’t get me wrong… it took many of these people many years to get there. But they did get there with determination and perseverance.


Competing in an Ironman triathlon is a huge undertaking and involves a truly dedicated commitment of your time, sweat, and money. Only you can decide whether you want to take it on, but don’t let “I could never do something like that” keep you from considering it. You can do it if you want it badly enough.