Ben Hulin Races in the Ironman

Most people would not even consider participating in an Ironman Race. Any one of the three legs – 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and 26.2 mile run – requires a tremendous amount of strength and training. But Ben Hulin, even though a paraplegic, was not deterred. After seven months of training, Ben successfully competed in the Louisville Ironman Race.

He did, however, make a few adjustments – he told me, “I swim normally but have no leg kick, so I wear a wet suit and strap my legs together – when I get tired, I switch over and do the back stroke. I do the cycling part with my handcycle, pedaling with my arms as my legs lay out supported near my front wheel. I finished the bike and hopped into my racing chair for the marathon. This is my equivalent to running. I sit with my knees up and my legs tucked underneath me. I wear gloves and hit the push rings on my chair. All this and I completed the marathon in 3:04.31.”

Ben was overwhelmed with gratitude to God when, afterward, he reflected on all the ‘adjustments’ that made it possible for him to accomplish this Ironman-task. That tells me Ben ran his race in the spirit of I Corinthians 9:25, “All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize.” Way to go, Ben!