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Sam Holness crossed the finish line at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship over the weekend, making him the first known triathlete with autism to compete in the race. The 27-year-old British man trained for more than a year before making history at the event in St. George, Utah.
The light rain, lightning and even a sandstorm didn’t stop Sam from finishing the race, which consists of a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run. He finished in five hours and 44 minutes and competed with some of the best triathletes in his age category, according to Sam’s dad and coach, Tony. “As a coach, that’s great,” the proud papa explains. “As a parent, it’s just amazing!”
And Sam is impressed with his accomplishment as well. “I feel very proud,” he says. “I’m happy and I can’t wait to get back to training.” And he’ll need to keep at it to reach his next goal, to be the first professional triathlete with autism to compete in the London Marathon on October 3rd.
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