Ironman!
Manhunt.com recently ran a feature on Aaron Perry, who at 42 is the first African-American insulin dependent diabetic to complete the Wisconsin Ironman triathlon. The event consists of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bicycle ride, and a 26.2 mile run. And then at the end, he has to kill a grizzly with a fork.
Okay, I made that last part up.
But Aaron’s tough enough, insulin injections or not. “At age 29 I was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes,” he says. “This was a very confusing time for me because I had little knowledge of diabetes. I was a very active, athletic person and had been all my life up to this point. This really had me thinking.”
Aaron made it his mission to learn everything he could about his diabetes and made the critical changes required to maintain his healthy, athletic lifestyle. After training for thirteen years, he earned the title “Ironman” by finishing the event in 16 hours and 17 seconds. He became only the 15th diabetic in the world, and the first insulin dependent diabetic African-American to complete the Ironman Triathlon.
Meanwhile, I’ll actually sit through a bad television program because I can’t make myself get up and find the remote.
(via Manhunt.com)
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POSTED IN: Inspiration
1 opinion for Ironman!
Kate
Apr 24, 2006 at 10:29 am
Great story- I am a tri-newbie and will conquer my first sprint-distances this summer. Ironman? Maybe when I’m 40.
But if Aaron can do it, so can I.
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