Gazette Times
CORVALLIS, Ore. — Corvallis firefighter Joe Van Veldhuizen regains every one of the 40 pounds he lost while training to be an Ironman triathlete — every time he puts on his firefighting gear; it weighs just the same.
“It was part of who I was. But I don’t want to go back there,” the 45-year-old fire engineer said. “Try carrying four 10-pound bags of flour around everywhere you go. Or pick up a 40-pound weight at the gym. I mean it takes a lot of effort to pick that weight up.” And it took a lot of effort for him to drop that weight. Van Veldhuizen says he’s a lot happier carrying around pride, and not just because it doesn’t weigh 40 pounds.
Seven years ago, the firefighter who his colleagues call “Joe V” decided that the 2-5-0 that flashed on the scale was going to be the limit. Last year, Joe V finished an Ironman triathlon. That’s typically at least a two-mile, open-water swim, followed by a 100-mile bicycle race and then a full marathon.
Full story: Corvallis firefighter drops 40 pounds, becomes Ironman triathlete