Pigman triathletes keep Ottaway in their thoughts

PALO - If anyone can beat lymphoma, Ron Ottaway can.

That's what his friends and fellow Midwest Xtreme Triathlon Club members said Sunday. And it's why so many showed up to the Pigman Triathlon in special green T-shirts, with green ribbons attached, in support of the legendary local triathlete.

The 76-year old Ottaway, a former Iron Man triathlon world champion and a runner-up for his age group just last year, was diagnosed two weeks ago with lymphoma. When he received the diagnosis, his car was packed to go compete in an Iron Man triathlon in Houston.

At the Pigman event at Pleasant Creek state park on Sunday, members of his club kept him in their thoughts.

“When I was coming up that last big hill there, thinking ‘what am I doing out here?'” Dan Tucker said. “I thought, I'm wearing Ron's ribbon. I know Ron, he's got it in the heart and the gut. He's really an idol for any of us trying to do a triathlon.”

Ottaway decided to come watch the end of the triathlon, to see some of his friends finish the race. He said he was shocked to see so many participants wearing shirts with his name on them.

“I was really surprised,” he said. “It's just great. I can use all the support I can get these days.”

Rosie Jones, the founder and Vice President of the MXTC, organized the t-shirt and ribbon event. She called Ottaway “one of the most encouraging people you'll ever meet.” Club member Dennis Baier was confident his friend would beat the disease.

“The guy's a survivor,” Baier said. “Here's an individual that a couple years ago broke his hip real bad, and within a year was doing an Iron Man again. He's a resilient dude. We think he'll get past this, and we can't wait to see him back on the course.”

Ottaway has been staying active since the diagnosis. He swims, lifts weights, or exercises another way every day. On Sunday morning, he biked for an hour. He does it to keep a positive attitude in the face of the disease - something he says is “easier to do some days than others,” with chemotherapy sapping him of energy.

But there's another reason, too.

“I'm trying to maintain my muscle memory,” he said. “So that when I beat this, it won't take me too long to be really competitive again.”

The MXTC had another inspirational figure at the Pigman on Sunday as well. Fourteen-year old Jessica Heims ran the triathlon for the second straight year. Heims lost her right leg from the knee down at birth, and competes with a prosthetic leg.

She learned something about that prosthetic leg and the transition from swimming to biking at last year's Pigman. Last year, she used crutches to reach her bike. She ditched that plan on Sunday.

“I use my arms while swimming, I don't kick at all,” she said after finishing in 1:57:55. “And then coming up to the bikes, I have to use my arms to crutch all the way up, and it's a huge hill. So I just put my leg on right after I swim, and then just run up the hill.”

The Pigman had some elite competition, as Minneapolis native Dan Hedgecock won the male division with a blazing 1:02:06 time. Sunny Gilbert won the female division in 1:12:17. Linn-Mar distance running phenom Stephanie Jenks took third place in the females division, finishing in 1:13:12. She had the fastest time of all females in the 5K run portion of the race.

“I enjoyed doing all three sports when I was little,” she said. “When I found the triathlon, I fell in love with it. Because it has everything.”