IRONMAN: Hope for future

It is no secret having Ironman in this town has changed the lives of most people here. When Ironman arrived 14 years ago, it put Coeur d’Alene on the map forever. It created a strong sense of excitement each year as the Ironman trucks rolled into town, the athlete village stood in City Park and thousands of athletes and families descended upon the city. Ironman changed lives of those athletes forever.

I am one of those athletes. I have completed 11 of them, including Coeur d’Alene four times. Every summer I look forward to seeing the trucks roll in and the signs posted on the roads. Excitement builds as it gets closer.

We also know Ironman is not cheap. For some, it simply is not attainable from a financial perspective. The chamber’s decision to drop the full Ironman event with very little notice came as a shock to many. It did not make sense. I know several athletes whose dreams were dashed because Ironman was in their backyard and traveling to another venue was not feasible.

It is unfortunate the chamber did not let others know much sooner so they could save for it, train for it and cross the finish line in August. While the Ironman 70.3 still exists, many wonder why the full was moved to August and not held on the same day to defray costs and community impact. Many athletes are hopeful things could change and it return in the future. To quote the Ironman mantra: Anything is possible.

COREY McKENNA

Coeur d’Alene