Edmonton’s Malcolm Stinson is well over the halfway point of doing a half Ironman triathlon a day for 30 straight days.
That’s a 1,900-metre swim, 90-kilometre bike and 21.1-kilometre run. Every day.
“Well, we pretty much thought he was nuts,” said Greg Woods, Stinson’s triathlon training partner and friend.
“Who could do that? Not many people. And he’s dealing with cancer, taking medication every day, it’s just phenomenal that he’s even doing it.”
Stinson is in remission now, but was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in 2009. It’s a type of cancer that forms in a certain white blood cells called plasma cells. Stinson received a stem cell transplant as part of his treatment.
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He was inspired to do the challenge to show not what triathletes can do, but what cancer patients can do.
“Cancer is not the bad word that it used to be,” Stinson said. “You can live a good, productive, strong, enjoyable life just like you always dreamt that you would.”
The hot days in early July almost cut the challenge short, but now he’s just 10 triathlons from the finish.
“After the first three or four days, I wasn’t sure, I didn’t think I could do it,” Stinson said. “I just kept plugging away and now it’s like, I almost feel stronger every day. It’s like my body’s adapting.”
“We’re trying to keep up to him now,” said Woods, who has joined Stinson at least a couple of times a week.
Stinson’s challenge is raising money for Myeloma Canada, Myeloma Alberta and the Alberta Cancer Foundation to ensure that advancements continue to be made for patients. You can donate at livingtotri.ca.
Stinson will be in Calgary this weekend for the Ironman 70.3 race on Sunday. He will also race at the ITU World Triathlon Edmonton the last weekend of July.