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For most of us just the thought of a 10 hour workday is more than we can handle, let alone actually working it. Imagine if that 10 hour day didn't involve sitting behind a desk but instead involved exercising at maximum effort for the entire 10 hours. Insane, right? Well that is exactly what Scandia native, Andrew Turner, thought when he unintentionally started on a crazy athletic path that has taken him across the country competing in Ironman Triathlons. On August 29th Turner qualified for the Ford Ironman World Championships that will take place on October 9th in Kona, Hawaii. There is a quote on Ironman.com that states "To get to the starting line in Kona, you must either be very lucky and get yourself a spot through the lottery, or very talented, and win yourself a qualifying spot at one of the qualifying events held around the world. Tens-of-thousands of triathletes try to get one of those coveted Ironman spots every year. Only 1,800 succeeded". As you will see, Andrew's qualification was a result of dedication, sweat and a little bit of little luck and divine intervention from one of Andrew's biggest fans.

The son of parents Karen and Lee Turner, Andrew got his first taste of triathlons back in 2005 when his friends Trevor and Tyler Schuler told him about a race they were going to run in Boulder, CO. After talking it over with his parents, Andrew and his younger brother Matt decided to give it a shot. So the four of them loaded up the family car with two bikes and all their gear and headed off to Boulder and as they say, "the rest is history". Like most Triathletes, Turners first race left him wanting more. Over the next couple of years, Turner tried to balance his interest in the sport with school, a job, and sports. After running a few more "fun" triathlons, he realized it may be more than just a casual hobby when he finished 5th in his age group and 58th out 779 participants in the 2008 Chisago Lakes Triathlon - Sprint Distance. "I felt incredible after the race and I knew I could have been on the podium having missed third place by less than 5 minutes," said Turner.

During the winter of 2008 and the spring of 2009 Turner dramatically increased his training as prepared to take on his biggest challenge to date, the Ironman 70.3 - Kansas. The 70.3 (better known as the Half Ironman) includes a 1.2 mile swim, a 56 mile bike ride, and a 13 mile run. His goal was just to finish the race, but he surprised himself when he finished 18th in his age group and 221st out of almost 1500 finishers. He continued his success in 2009 with several finishes on the winner's podium in his age group, with a 1st place finish at the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon, a 2nd place finish at the Chisago Lakes Half Ironman, and a 2nd place finish at the LifeTime Fitness National Triathlon in Dallas, TX. But as is the case with most triathletes, participating in the sports' ultimate race, the full Ironman, was still in the back of his mind. But for even the most elite of athletes, the thought of swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles (from Forest Lake to Duluth), and finishing off with a full marathon, seems crazy! In September 2009 he took the challenge head on and participated in the Ford Ironman Wisconsin. "I talked with many people who said not to worry about my time and to just enjoy my first Ironman, so that is exactly what I did," said Turner. But once again, just finishing the race was enough to put him towards the top as his 11 hour 5 minute finish put him in 9th place in his age group. It was then that he knew the sport's ultimate race, the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii was within reach, albeit a far reach. "I knew that if I could buckle down and train, I had a shot. I had the facilities available to me at the University of Minnesota and being my last year on campus I knew that 2010 may be the only chance I had." The only qualifying race left was in Louisville, KY on August 29th, 2010. When he told his mom about the race she reminded him that his Grandfather, Winfred Holcomb , who passed away in 2002, spent time in Louisville after World War II and before coming back home to Scandia. "My mom said that of all the places he went while in the Army, Louisville was one of his favorites. He talked a lot about his time there. The horse farms and rolling hills reminded him a lot of Scandia, and he had a hard time leaving."

To prepare for this incredible challenge, Andrew ramped up his training beyond what he could imagine was possible for full time college senior with a job. Last winter, when he wasn't going to school or working night security on campus, his fraternity brothers would find him the basement riding mile after mile on his bike trainer, swimming laps at the U of M Aquatic Center, or running laps at a number of different indoor tracks. At the peak of his training, Turner was hitting the pavement or the pool six days a week, two or three times a day, all in preparation for this one race. In the meantime, just for good measure, this spring he managed to fit in a few more races and hit the winner's podium for his age group with a 1st place finish at the Liberty Half Ironman in Maple Plain, a 3rd place finish at the Lifetime Fitness Triathlon, and a 1st place finish at the 2010 Chisago Lakes Half Ironman.

After the year long wait following his Ironman Wisconsin experience, the last week of August 2010 finally came. Andrew, his parents, his brother, and his girlfriend all made the 13 hour trek to Louisville. They arrived a few days early so Turner could take it easy and get to know the course. Then on race day, the 3:30 am alarm clock finally went off. At 7:30 am, as Turner made the leap off the dock into the murky Ohio River, he thought to himself "here goes nothing." But in the back of his mind he heard the last words his mom said before he left, "don't worry, both your Grandpa Winfred and your Grandpa Jim are with you." Andrew came out of the water in 56 minutes; an outstanding time considering as an amateur he out swam 6 of the top 10 finishers in the Male Pro Division. He felt great as he made his way through the transition area and onto his bike for the beginning of his 112 mile trek. It was a long and lonely ride through the rolling hills of Kentucky and Turner's mind continued to wander and he thought about what it would be like to be riding through the lava fields of Hawaii at the Ironman World Championships. Regardless of whether they would be awarding two slots or three, he figured his only chance to get to Kona was to finish in 10 hours or less. To do so, he would have to cut almost 60 minutes off his Ironman Wisconsin time and he knew that much of that time had to come from the bike leg. He started out on a blazing pace of over 24 mph, which ultimately he could not sustain, but he finished with an impressive pace of 21 mph and a total time of 5 hours 19 minutes. He had cut 29 minutes off his Wisconsin bike time. His friends and family back in Minnesota were following his progress online and through text messages from them, his mom was able to relay to Turner that he was in 4th place headed into the run portion.

At around 1:30 pm, when Andrew took his first steps on his rubbery legs the temperature was 96 degrees and the heat index was close to 115. The conditions were so miserable that 15% of the athletes didn't finish the race which is almost twice the normal drop-out rate. He realized almost immediately that he had not kept hydrated enough for the intense heat. At mile 4 he remembered that he also had forgotten to take his salt tablets before leaving for the run. He knew it was going to be a long and difficult finish. With the heat from the asphalt making matters worse, he wound through downtown Louisville all the while thinking "I can do this, Gramps is with me." From miles 10 to 14 his side ache was so bad he couldn't take a full breath and the pain was so intense he even forgot to enjoy the scenery of the home of the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs. When asked later if the horse track was what he expected he replied, "I have no idea, all I could look at was the ground!" Finally, at around mile 15 his focus on over hydrating and dousing himself with ice at each aid station began to pay off. As the rest of his age group competitors began to slow dramatically from their blazing starts, Turner continued to maintain his steady 9 minute mile pace. By this time, Turner's mom and dad had separated so they could be at different spots on the course and relay his progress to him. At mile 17 his dad told him that he had moved up from 8th to 5th and was gaining ground. When he hit mile 23, Andrew said, "the adrenaline kicked in and I don't remember much after that". His pace in the last 3 miles was just under an 8 minute mile and he finished the marathon portion in 3 hours 56 minutes. In total he cut 46 minutes off his Wisconsin Ironman time and finished the race in 10 hours, 19 minutes. After a brief stint in the triage center for an IV fluid session, Turner was able to finally see his family and friends and enjoy the moment. By the hugs and smiles you could tell they couldn't have been prouder of him. As luck would have it, just shortly after his finish, www.ironman.com was hit by a cyberattack and as a result, Turner would have to wait until the following morning to learn his fate for Kona.

After waking up at 6:30 am the next morning, Andrew learned that he had not made his goal of a top three finish, but instead had captured 6th place out of 95 finishers in his age group and 58th overall. To make matters worse, he soon realized that he was only 30 seconds behind the 5th place finisher, meaning he would not make the winner's podium where they would hand out trophies to the top 5 finishers. But he never gave up hope. "I knew it wasn't over until 11 am when they announced how many of the top finishers in my age group elected to claim their spot in Kona. I just kept thinking 'please give me a hand from above Gramps, please.' When the announcement came that the top four finishers had not claimed their spots, Andrew and his family couldn't contain themselves, especially his mom who admits she may have let out "a little yell". His dream had come true; the World Ironman Championships was now his reality. Turner said, "After handing the lady my check for registration for Hawaii, I silently said 'Louisville is a great place Gramps, thank you!'"

Andrews's friends and family have created a Facebook page for info on how to help support Andrew's "Quest to Conquer Kona". There you can see more pictures from his race in Louisville, make donations to help support his trip, and follow his training and progress now and when he reaches Hawaii for race week. To learn more go to www.facebook.com and search for "Andrew Turner's Triathlon Supporters" or email them for a direct link at [email protected].

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