Father-daughter relationship grows through participation in Tempe Ironman Triathlon
TEMPE, Ariz. - This weekend marks the 20th Ironman event here in the Valley with people traveling from across the world to take part.
Ironman Village is already set up near Tempe Town Lake for participants and members of the public to join in the camaraderie of the strenuous but inspiring triathlon.
People who sign up for the Ironman know its grueling. Competitors partake in a 2.4 mile swim, followed by 112 miles on a bike and round it out with 26.2 mile run.
But this father-daughter duo I met today knows a lot about how to accomplish tough things and use those tough things to inspire others.
"Actually, this will mark my 20th one," said Timothy Bolen.
Right after the event last year, Timothy’s daughter Cloe told him she wanted to join him for this year’s race.
"They’ve seen their dad here all through their lives and so to be able to come full circle and have her ask me last year to do this with her was incredible," said Bolen. "I’m going to be an emotional wreck all day."
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Cloe is excited about the event, too.
"A lot of people don’t do Ironman, let alone do it when they’re 19 so being able to do it now is really cool and doing it with my best friend is awesome, too," said Cloe.
The opportunity is one the father-daughter duo doesn’t take for granted. Timothy has been fighting terminal cancer since January 2020 and while he says recent numbers have been pretty stable he is focused on doing what he can while he can.
"Even if this is the last year for me to be able to do this, the fact that we get to do this one together and know that if this is it, then so be it, it’s gonna be so worth it," said Timothy.
And the Bolens want others to see how worthwhile every experience is with their loved ones.
"You can get a terminal diagnosis and still live a full, beautiful life and if not even more rewarding because the time is against you and it just forces you to want to do more and I wish I would’ve learned this 20 years ago," said Timothy.
For this being her first Ironman, Cloe says she already has the itch to do it again. When I asked her the likelihood of us seeing her participating again next year - she said it was about an 80% chance.
I think I speak for everyone when I say we want to see both her and her dad - next year in this village.