True Inspiration! Rockford Man And Son Finally Earn Ironman Status
Jeff Agar nailed the full 140.6 mile Ironman triathlon Saturday, all while pulling and pushing his disabled son, Johnny, who was more excited than his dad.
The Duo Finished A Full Iron Man Race In Maryland Saturday
Jeff Agar and his son Johnny stepped over the finish line together in just under 17 hours Saturday in Cambridge MD to complete their first ever full triathlon of 140.6 miles. For the uninitiated, the full Iron Man race consists of a 2.4 mile open water swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride, and a full 26.2 mile marathon on foot.
Jeff completed the race pushing and pulling his son, Johnny, who was born with cerebral palsy. They began training and competing in Iron Man triathlons seven years ago as a way to do something fun together. In 2016, they qualified for and competed in their first full 140.6 mile triathlon in Kona, Hawaii, home of the original Ironman, but failed to finish. Four times since they have tried and failed to finish the race, but they never gave up.
Johnny Agar Got Out Of His Wheelchair And Walked Across The Finish Line
Johnny was able to walk across the finish line with Jeff, and let out a whoop of joy.
“I loved being out here and racing with everyone,” Johnny Agar told Endurance Sports Wire after walking across the finish line with his dad, Jeff. “Everyone was so positive, and it is just what I needed in my life. I can’t thank everyone enough for the support.”
“We put a tremendous amount of effort in, had some strange things happen [over the years] and positives, what we called, the ‘successful failures,” added Jeff Agar. “Some great things have happened in those successful failures, but I am incredibly proud right now.”
“It’s been a dream of Johnny’s to officially become an Iron Man,” Jeff Agar told WOOD-TV following the race. “We’ve been big encouragers of failure and not getting things on the first try is just part of the process. I credit my wife the most. Even when we didn’t make it through Kona originally, back in 2016, she said ‘some great things are going to come out of this, I just know it.’”
Johnny also has a race named after him, Johnny's Race, which had its inaugural run this June in Parnell. It is based on his impossible mile walk during a race back in 2013.
In fact, Johnny's entire Twitter feed is incredibly inspirational. If you don't think you have what it takes to achieve your dreams, think again.