"In dealing with disappointment we build strength and character. How we approach life's disappointments is just as important as the victories, and it occurred to me in Kona that maybe the two aren't so different after all. We humans like to label things as "good" and "bad." In reality, there is just stuff that happens, and we must deal with it. There is no intrinsic positive or negative value to events, only to our own interpretations."Ironman Triathlete Samantha McGlone
In 2003, I completed the Ironman triathlon in Lake Placid, New York. I crossed the finish line after swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and running 26.2 miles 15 hours and 20 minutes after the race began at 7am. Racing from 7am to almost 10:30pm is a humbling experience and when I say 'racing' this means going as fast as I could go even if it was a slow walk at times. The Ironman triathlon is the premier distance event in the world. Those months spent training and sacrificing the time and energy to get to the starting line, compete and ultimately finish the race constitute one of my best achievements. This race offers the chance for an athletic 'nobody' to toe the line and compete with some of the finest athletes in any sport. It is a chance to achieve a level of personal gratification that goes beyond almost any other accomplishment I have attempted. Finishing the Ironman was my finest moment as a 'nobody athlete'.
Special olympic athletes, wheelchair athletes, athletes racing in memory of their loved ones, for fund raising or racing toward their personal recovery from an illness such as cancer bring a whole new dimension to sport and competition. The photo you see above is of a brave Ironman triathlete named Jon Blais from Seekonk, Mass. Jon raced the Ironman in Kona, Hawaii in 2005 and finished his race in the most memorable way possible, he rolled his body across the finish line and was met by his sobbing mother and father waiting for him at the end of the race. You can watch the You Tube video of his amazing story at the Ironman World Championships by clicking on; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Vrjp2P0GlE. Bring a box of kleenex and prepare to watch a true athletic hero race and complete the premier endurance event in the world while suffering from Lou Gehrig's Disease.
Jon passed away from ALS on May 27, 2007 and while he is missed dearly by those close to him, his spirit and the lessons he has taught us all live on. Jon always believed in ending your story with a quote. Others have already said it best, so it's better to remember those and go out strong. So here goes… “The meaning of life is to live life”.
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