The first Ironman Triathlon is held in Hawaii, popularizing triathlon as a participation sport 1978
Judy and her husband John Collins, a commander in the US Navy, came to be based in Honolulu, on the Hawaiian island of Oahu. Judy, a participant in the Mission Bay Triathlon in San Diego, CA, had developed passion for mapping out triathlon courses and purposed to do so in Hawaii. Joined with her husband, the two contemplated the route and aerobic events and decided that whoever could complete the event would be called the 'Ironman'.
The Ironman event attracted 18 entry participants in its first year, including John Collins, as well as a US Navy Seal and A Naval Reserve lieutenant. The inaugural event was held on February 18 on Oahu in 1978, where the Naval Reserve lieutenant, Gordan Haller became the first Ironman triathlon 'Ironman'. Fast forwarding four decades, the event advances to produce a level up caliber 'Ironman' amongst those worthy of the title.
In February 2020, former college fullback Ben O'Donnell was deemed in excellent health after a two-day executive physical. O'Donnell was preparing for his second Ironman event. The same month after a business trip, he returned home with a fever of 102 and developed symptoms of ailment that progressed into difficulty with breathing. Soon after, Ben was admitted to the hospital and placed on a ventilator. In a condition where his blood oxygen levels continued to drop, the doctors decided to place him on a machine that would take over the work of the lungs.
Ben reportedly endured an extended period of hallucinations while under heavy sedation during that time, a period where he became convinced that he was going to be trafficked while in the hospital. He shared in interview that he was looking for ways to escape. A hug from his sister Dawn, a nurse able to visit him, brought him out of the hallucinations. On April 6, by the grace of God, Ben was discharged from the hospital and able to return home to his family.
Mike Reilly, the voice that's called over 180 Ironman races around the world and the official 'Voice of IRONMAN', contacted Ben after seeing a newspaper article about him. Nine days after Ben returned home from the hospital, he accomplished making it to the mailbox for the first time without his walker. A few days after, Reilly contacted Ben to let him know, "After reading your story, I can see - you are an IRONMAN!"
Ben reported that the call pushed him to not only recover, but to become better than he was, and he adopted the mantra -
Don't stop. Don't quit. Keep moving forward.
Four months from his release from the hospital in April, on August 3, 2020 Ben completed the 21-mile bike event of the Grand Teton Picnic Triathlon - and then set his eyes on IRONMAN Arizona.
In November 2020, 21-year-old Chris Nikic became the first person with down syndrome to complete the Ironman triathlon. He stated in an interview shown on CBS News that his motto is, 'You just do it'. His training began with a single push-up, and Chris has now set his sights on being part of the 2022 Special Olympics next.
Chris' coach, Special Olympics partner Dan Grieb says that Chris progressed with a simple philosophy which has proven to be powerful -- just get 1 percent better each day. With this, one push up progressed a year later to 160. Along with developing excellence in work ethic, the progress has also had a good impact on Chris' cognitive development which has been evident in Chris being able to learn new skill and training drills in a fraction of the time while tackling setbacks like bike falls.
Even more extraordinary, Chris has been able to share his story on public platforms and gives motivational speeches on the 1-percent philosophy. Chris has also reportedly transformed the Central Florida triathlon group into a hugging culture.
Reference
About Mike Reilly. https://mikereilly.net/about/
Ironman Triathlon History: The First Year. (Oct 11, 2019). https://www.triathlonvibe.com/lifestyle/triathlon-history/ironman-triathlon-history-part-1/
Reddy, L. (Nov 9, 2020). Chris Nikic becomes first person with Down's syndrome to finish an Ironman triathlon https://www.bbc.com/sport/triathlon/54869998
Rosengren, J. (Dec 15, 2020). Resiliency: The triathlete who couldn't be stopped. https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Triathlon/News/Articles-and-Releases/2020
Young man becomes first person with Down syndrome to finish Ironman Triathlon. (Nov 11, 2020). https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/watch/young-man-becomes-first-person-with-down-syndrome-to-finish-ironman-triathlon/vp-BB1aTgHh
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