Two astronauts, an 84-year-old nun, a racecar driver and an Olympic gold medalist speed skater all show up for a race …
It sounds like the start of a bad joke, but it will be reality at the 2014 Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona Saturday.
The iconic race has attracted some of the most compelling stories in sports in its 36-year history, each a testament to the human spirit.
While the more than 2,000 athletes in the race each have a story, here are a few standouts.
Madonna Buder, 84-year-old nun
Buder is the oldest female ever to finish an Ironman, earning her the moniker of “Iron Nun.”
“I’m just glad to be breathing,” said Buder with a laugh.
Buder has become part of Ironman lore and has the memories to go with it. She recalled the 2012 Ironman Honu 70.3 race in particular.
“The winds were horrendous that day,” Buder said.
Buder spoke about following a school of fish in the tumultuous waters on the swim, but having second thoughts about doing the race.
“I got so tired from fighting the waves that I asked myself ‘Is this worth it?’” she said.
She eventually found her way ashore, thanks to a helpful water patrol volunteer, but she still had to find a creative way to deal with the pesky Kohala Coast winds on the bike and run.
“(On the run) I bent over and clasped my hands behind my back. I remember thinking, ‘If I didn’t look like a little old lady before, I sure do now.’”
The legendary athlete has hundreds of triathlon finishes to her name, and if she finishes the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run Saturday, she will reset the record books.
Dave McGillivray, Boston Marathon race director
McGillivray has directed the Boston Marathon for more than a quarter-century, and runs the course every year after the last participant is off it. He has completed the route 42 times, along with other marathons and Ironman-distance triathlons. He even ran across the U.S. to raise money for charity.
McGillivray had a stressful year in 2013 after the Boston Marathon bombings, but the veteran race director was dealt another shock when he was diagnosed with severe coronary artery disease.
“I thought I was invincible. I started suffering some breathing issues, and lo-and-behold, I had disease and I didn’t even know it,” McGillivray said.
After finding out, McGillivray set his sights on the Ironman World Championship in Kona — a race he had done 25 years ago — as a his target date to get healthy.
With a change in his diet and renewed focus, McGillivray said Thursday that in less than a year the disease has reversed more than 40 percent and his cholesterol has lowered 100 points.
“This race, this year, I can honestly say helped save my life,” he said.
McGillivray said the correlation between being fit and being healthy is made too often. It is a lesson he learned first hand. He hopes his story can serve as a message to other athletes in the future.
“Athletes are the most vulnerable,” McGillivray said. “People who aren’t fit probably know they are not healthy. People who are fit think they are invincible. We think every pain is a challenging pain, not a warning pain.”
Apolo Ohno, eight-time Olympic gold medalist
Ohno has competed against some of the best athletes in the world on the Olympic stage, but Ironman is an entirely different challenge.
“I’m blessed and humbled to be here among these tremendous athletes,” Ohno said.
Ohno said he was presented the opportunity when former NFL wide receiver Hines Ward invited him to join the chocolate milk team.
The race is a lot different than the 40-second burst he is used to on the ice, but he has adjusted to the change.
“I spent my life training and forming my body into something that resembles a T-Rex — basically no upper body, all lower body,” Ohno said. “The first thing all speed skaters do when they retire is start lifting, upper body and forget doing all forms of cardio.
“This is perfect. It is something I needed in my life, and its biggest challenge I have faced,” Ohno said. “This is an incredible opportunity and I am excited for Saturday.”