30/10/2025
Member highlight from I’ve wanted to do an Ironman since I was a teen watching the Kona World Championship race on ABC. A goal I thought would never come true as I did not grow up swimming and had a few traumatic water experiences as a youth. I started with swim lessons in 2009, first groups then individual. In 2012 when my sister Gabby was at her end of life I started to have panic attacks while swimming, so took time off. In 2017 I joined OTC in hopes of completing a sprint race. I attended swim workouts, had Rich Borbon coach me a bit and practiced practiced practiced. Those first few sprint race swims were ugly and long, but I fell in love with triathlon! Year after year I wanted to move up in distances, but one thing or another prolonged it, COVID and a rotator cuff injury delayed things further. Then last year I introduced a neighbor to triathlon and she dove quick and wanted to do a full Ironman, I agreed to do several Olympic races and a half Ironman. Once I completed the half I thought “well, I’m half way there, no better time than the present to keep training for a full.” I was thankful to be mostly retired and have lots of time for training, a supporting partner and the financial means to enter races. I wondered if at 57, having one kidney (donated to Gabby in 2004) I could push myself to the limit. Well, I sure can and did! I’m thankful for the swim and track workouts and overall support from members. My confidence in open water has grown so much, my love for cycling continues and I’ve learned to somewhat like running. I felt great for the most part during Ironman California and never questioned if I’d finish, my mantra was “one mile at a time!” So great to see OTC on the course and cheering. I’m so proud of the accomplishments, it’s one of the hardest and meaningful days of my life! As a side note, I found the Ironman shoes at a TJ Maxx probably 16 years ago and I thought “if I believe it and walk in the shoes, I can become it!” I had put them away for many years as the goal was so out of reach. I’m wearing them now! My partner found the IronLady hat last year and gave it me as inspiration for the full.
