BECOMING AN IRONMAN, AGAIN.

Published: 08/05/2026 | By: David Van Wetherill

On 15 August 2026, our ambassador David Van Wetherill goes again – another shot at becoming an IRONMAN. That’s 3.8 km in the water, 180 km on the bike using one leg, and then a full marathon on crutches. This is part one of his camp notes. No polish – just the reality of what it takes.

I have a painful bone condition called multiple epiphyseal dysplasia and my first attempt on 17 August 2025 (almost a year before go-time) ended in DNF at 205 km. I had ‘only’ a 21 km half marathon to go. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done but it taught me so much about myself and my own ways of dealing with the painful vicissitudes of life.

The sheer volume required for training for an IRONMAN is like a rollercoaster. Last year there were incredible highs, and yet great disappointment. It took some reflection but I’ve learnt enough to know that nothing was wasted, nothing was lost…

The last four months have been tough but I’m coming out the other side and this time, I’m aiming to go the full distance. Before the race last year, I broke the world record for the fastest marathon on crutches and then finished 3rd in the adaptive HYROX World Championships. Going into the IRONMAN, I wasn’t sure if it was possible but I was in the best fitness shape of my life.

This year hasn’t gone so much to plan.

In December, I had a full hip replacement and I’ve accelerated my rehab to the point where I’m now in a position to start revisiting my dreams. I feel in much better physical shape, albeit my fitness isn’t quite where it needs to be – YET!

The last four months have been a struggle, you only need to look back through my journal entries to see some of the most harrowing moments in my mind:

Dear diary – I didn’t always do the best job of communicating how I felt because some days I could barely even understand myself. All my worst habits, all my deepest fears, all my innermost insecurities of not feeling good enough, of feeling like I’ve failed, have all been exposed and I’ve been left feeling lost and vulnerable in places I’ve always found safety and comfort.

I’ve been so dependent on various people and things throughout the pain before my surgery that I suffered a fear of loneliness which meant I completely abandoned myself, beat myself up and opened wounds I thought I’d healed, or hadn’t healed at all…

Today, I’m not there yet, but I will be.

Last weekend at HYROX Warsaw was the first race back where I’ve been able to put full weight back through my left leg and I finished in a time of 1:48:16. I felt like the man in the arena again. It’s over 12 minutes quicker than any of the times I’ve managed since before last year’s attempt.

An IRONMAN is a whole different beast, though. This weekend I’ll be revisiting the roadmap from last year – I am again racing the London Marathon and it will be a huge marathon milestone test for me and my joints, as well as the greatest training long run in history.

It will mark the halfway point – 16 weeks since my surgery and 16 weeks to go. My focus has been on building that core running base (which is the most impactful for me on my joints) so that I can bank the training and protect my bones closer to the time.

Come July/August, I’ll have a full 8-week taper/block after Bolton 70.3 and the HYROX World Championships, where we will have a pretty good idea on progression and whether the IRONMAN on crutches dream can become reality.

In a typical week, I try and complete multiple strength sessions as well as time on the static bike and in the pool. For me, strength training for endurance is perhaps a little more critical, not just for preventing injury but also because when you run on crutches the rules are very different. Muscular endurance and joint protection are everything.

That said, I’m looking forward to the summer months where I’m aiming to put in a lot more longer rides outside, as well as getting in the open water. This has also informed my choice of course. I’ve chosen Kalmar due to the flatness of the bike course which will hopefully enable me to save as much energy and ‘joint health’ for making the ultimate marathon achievable. Fewer cobbles than Copenhagen. I’ll try and go a little quicker on the low-impact swim, in order to bank enough time for later on, where each individual second may feel exponentially more precious yet painful.

I’ve learnt through growing up with a disability and overcoming various challenges in life, that you can’t always plan for things to happen, it can be very unpredictable, but that winners always find a way, even when all else feels impossible. Expect that difficulties will come and you take away their power when they arrive.

I still have multiple doubts and fears.

I’m not ready yet, but I will be.

Without difficulties life would be like a stream without rocks and curves and about as interesting as concrete. I’ve learnt that it is definitely possible and that it only becomes impossible when you lose faith and stop believing in something.

Anyone who has ever tried to attempt anything like this will know that it’s impossible to do alone, and I’d love to thank all my friends and family, everyone I know, and even those I don’t know, who have shown me such incredible support, including the team at Sports Direct. I firmly believe that the “impossible” (not just on this one day, but every day) would remain impossible without that support.

So, to anyone out there who thinks they can’t do it – this one’s for you. Whether you’d like to enter your first race, step into the gym for the first time, or really push your limits – whatever those may be – the purpose of this is to inspire you to start.

Thank you to everyone, forever and always.

Stay tuned.

David