Game Changers at the Ironman Triathlon

What I love about the sport of triathlon, and Ironman in particular, is that it is an equal opportunity abuser: it doesn’t matter if you are black or brown, tall or short, paralyzed or missing body parts. If you would like to take on the challenge of 2.4 miles of swimming, 112 miles of cycling, and 26.2 miles of running – and make all of the cut off times, you will become an Ironman.

When Chris Nikic became the first person with Down syndrome to finish an Ironman Triathlon at Ironman Florida on November 7, 2020, I thought it would be cool to look back at some of the other game changers who proved the Ironman mantra over the years, that Anything is Possible.

 

1983: Bill Carlson becomes the first Type 1-Diabetic to finish the Ironman World Championship.

1985: Pat Griskus becomes the first male single below knee amputee to finish the Ironman World Championship.

1989: Dick and Rick Hoyt become the first father-son duo to finish the Ironman World Championship.

 

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#FathersDay When we chat about Ironman legends, no one ranks higher on my list than the dynamic duo of Dick and Rick Hoyt. When they finished Ironman for the first time back in 1989, Dick weighed 175, Rick weighed 125 and the bike weighed 76 pounds. Imagine making your way through the lava fields navigating 376 pounds through the wind and heat and then getting off the bike and pushing Rick to a 4:30 marathon. What would a father do for his son? If you’re Dick Hoyt, that’s simple: Absolutely anything! 🔉Here’s Dick Hoyt talking about racing with son Rick.

A post shared by Bob Babbitt (@babbittville) on Jun 16, 2019 at 9:00am PDT

 

1996: Clarinda Brueck becomes the first single arm amputee woman to finish the Ironman World Championship.

1997: John MacLean becomes the first paralyzed athlete using a handcycle and racing chair to finish the Ironman World Championship.

 

1997: Jim Howley becomes the first person with AIDS to finish the Ironman World Championship.

2005: Jon Blazeman Blais becomes the first person with ALS to finish the Ironman World Championshp

2006: Sarah Reinertsen becomes the first single above knee amputee woman to finish the Ironman World Championship.

 

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#KonaCountdown 41 Part 2 It was an absolutely heart-breaking moment, but what I love about Sarah, is it wasn’t about how she got knocked down, but it was all about how she picked herself back up. Sarah re-dedicated herself to training, and a year later, had one of the greatest Ironman World Championship finishes of all time. She puts it perfectly in this sound bite: 🔊 #TeamCAF #CAFPowersThrough #IMKona 📷 @crusephoto

A post shared by Bob Babbitt (@babbittville) on Aug 30, 2020 at 1:44pm PDT

 

2007: Scott Rigsby becomes the first double below knee amputee to finish the Ironman World Championship

2009: Rudy Garcia-Tolson becomes the first double above knee amputee to finish an Ironman at Ironman Arizona.

 

2010: Rajesh Durbal becomes the first triple amputee to finish the Ironman World Championship.

2013: Minda Dentler becomes the first official finisher of the women’s handcycle division at the Ironman World Championship.

2013: Derek Fitzgerald becomes the first cancer survivor and heart transplant recipient to finish an Ironman at Ironman Lake Placid.

 

2014: Tina Ament becomes the first visually impaired American woman to finish the Ironman World Championship.

2014: Alex Zanardi becomes the first double above knee amputee using a kneeler for the handcycle and a racing chair for the run to finish the Ironman World Championship.

LISTEN: Alex Zanardi on Babbittville Radio

 

2016: Hector Piccard becomes the first double arm amputee to finish the Ironman World Championship.

2018: The Pease Brothers, Brent and Kyle, become the first brother duo to finish the Ironman World Championship.

 

2019: Roderick Sewell becomes the first double above knee amputee to use a handcycle for the bike and then run the marathon at the Ironman World Championship.

 

2020: Chris Nikic becomes the first person with Down syndrome to finish an Ironman at Ironman Florida.

Who will be the next person to break down barriers, change perceptions, and show that Anything is Possible at the Ironman Triathlon?