Dozens of athletes planning to participate in the Ironman U.S. Championship in New York and New Jersey got a lesson in courage from one of their own: John Hyland, managing partner of Morristown Financial Group.
Dozens of athletes planning to participate in the Ironman U.S. Championship in New York and New Jersey got a pep talk last night from a six-time winner and a lesson in courage from one of their own: John Hyland, managing partner of Morristown Financial Group, who has completed eight Ironman events even though he has been treated for acute myelogenous leukemia.
The event was sponsored by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, which raises money for blood cancer research. The organization's “Team in Training” program provides professional training for participants who in turn raise funds for cancer research. The program has raised $1.2 billion since its inception in 1988.
A 12-member team affiliated with the New Jersey Chapter of the LLS has a goal of raising $500,000 for the organization. The team includes a U.S. Navy Seal, a professional lacrosse player and a Navy doctor who starred in reality show “The Bachelor.”
The team's backbone is Mr. Hyland, who plans to compete in the race Aug. 11 with the New Jersey team. He received his last leukemia treatment in September 2010 and the disease has been in remission for 18 months.
Mr. Hyland was the recipient of the Invest in Others/InvestmentNews Community Leadership Award in the Community Service Award category last year. “It's a huge honor for me,” said Mr. Hyland, 44. “To get diagnosed with cancer and come back and be part of a team raising money for a cure to potentially the exact cancer I have is incredibly exciting.”
He knows the 2.4 mile swim in the Hudson River, the 112-mile bike ride on the New Jersey Palisades, and the marathon that finishes in Manhattan's Riverside Park will likely be the most challenging event he's ever undertaken. “This time is different. I'm going to push it as hard as I can within reason.”
The speaker at the event was champion Dave Scott, who is serving as the national coach.
The last time Mr. Scott, now 57, competed in an Ironman was in 1996, placing fifth. He doesn't sugarcoat the challenge that participants and particularly Mr. Hyland faces. “Your immune system is taxed so badly already from this race. There are phases in it where you think — this is the worst day of my life,” he said. “Obviously John is psychologically strong, but he's going to have to push all the right buttons to get through this event.”
The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society has chapters across the United States and Canada. More information about the organization, the research it funds and services it provides can be found at www.lls.org.
