Three of our top five inspiring stories from October, as measured by pageviews, feature triathletes. However, don’t sleep on what the Panthers are doing to invest in their players’ mental health.
5. Tim Don crushes Kona IRONMAN in 8:45 after being in a halo a year ago
Less than a year after walking around in a carbon halo so his broken neck could heal, world-class triathlete Tim Don completed the 2018 Kona IRONMAN World Championship.
That alone is astounding, but when you consider that the 39-year-old Brit who lives in Colorado finished the the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run in 8 hours, 45 minutes and 17 seconds, it’s nothing short of jaw-dropping. His performance made him the 53rd person overall to hit the finish line out of more than 2,300 competitors.
4. Steve-O celebrates a decade of sobriety by doing a triathlon
Remember the days when Steve “Steve-O” Glover from MTV’s Jackass put fish hooks in his chest to turn himself into shark bait, or when he stepped into a pool full of alligators with meat hanging from his underwear?
Now 10 years sober, the reality star who regularly made others cringe, gag and hold their breath completed his first triathlon in September when he took on the annual Nautica Malibu Triathlon in Los Angeles, California.
3. One-handed athlete receives touching message from Shaquem Griffin
Shaquem Griffin serves as an inspiration to many people who are missing limbs, and for good reason. The Seattle Seahawks linebacker who is missing his left hand was selected in the fifth-round of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Thanks to his success, kids with physical differences are realizing that they, too, can reach the pinnacle of professional sports or any other interest for that matter. That’s why when an 11-year-old boy from California named Daniel received a Griffin jersey, he broke down in tears, and the clip went viral.
2. At 85, Hiromu Inada becomes oldest Kona Ironman finisher
In covering 140.6 miles, Hiromu Inada, at 85, has traveled more miles in one day than most 85 year-olds travel in a single year.
On Saturday, the Japanese triathlete became the oldest person to finish the Kona IRONMAN World Championship, and even beat his own personal record in the process.
1. Panthers invest in players’ mental health by hiring in-house clinician
When an NFL player dislocates his finger or severely twists his knee, it’s off to the training room where trainers can have a look and come up with an adequate treatment plan. But, what happens when there’s a wound to the mind beyond slumps, X’s and O’s and teammate discord?
That’s a concern of the Carolina Panthers, one of the first teams to hire an in-house psychological clinician. In late-September, the team brought on Tish Guerin, 35, to be their director of player wellness.