Meet The Hammer - Triathlete John Young
Triathlete John Young is a superhero with a super heart. We first met John on his adventure to completing his first full distance Ironman triathlon in 2016. A CNN video popped up on our YouTube suggestions about a man defying all odds to cross the finish line at one of the toughest triathlons known to man. After following John’s adventures we were hooked on his energy and compassion he has for life. He is a modern-day superhero that holds a Thor hammer in the triathlon community. This is the journey of triathlete John Young and how he became the Hammer.
Your athletic career is as epic as Thor’s Hammer itself. From Ironman to the New York City Triathlon and more. Tell us a little about your story and what inspired you to follow an athletic path and triathlon?
It’s a bit of a long story, so here goes. Being born with dwarfism and growing up in the 70’s and 80’s, I was always told that I should shy away from most physical exercise, except for maybe swimming and cycling. Doctors had expressed concerns that most sports with running might cause injury to my lower back. I was born with achondroplasia, the most common form of dwarfism. As a consequence, our lower spinal column narrows, rather than widens as it does for most people. As such, spinal stenosis is a common condition that accompanies this. I have been relatively lucky and have never had any surgery due to my dwarfism, which is actually not a common thing.
Anyway, fast forward to the mid-2000s. There I was, a 40 yr old married man with a young son, quite overweight and not very active. My wife noticed that I was having a hard time staying awake and encouraged me to go to the doctor to get checked out. After a multitude of nudges, I finally went to the doctor and the news was not good. First, I was asked to stand on a scale and when it read, 195 lbs, I was convinced the scale was broken. Well, it wasn’t. I was also sent for a sleep study where I was diagnosed with SEVERE obstructive sleep apnea. I was prescribed a CPAP machine and literally, after that day, my life changed. I started to regain some energy. I got back to swimming on a regular basis and even rode my wife’s bike a few times.
Then in the winter of 2009, a dear friend shared a video of Dick and Rick Hoyt completing the Hawaii Ironman, and then I got an idea. I’m a swimmer and a bit of a cyclist, and so I thought, “Would I be able to race in a triathlon?” So I started to do some looking and found a race to compete in. In late June of 2009, I raced the Aquabike at the Mill City Triathlon in Lowell, MA. I absolutely loved it and then registered for the Witch City Sprint Triathlon in Salem, MA. After those two races, I was hooked.
Image Credits: Brunswick/Schiffman Ironman Maryland
What is one of the defining moments in your athletic career that you are most fond of?
I would have to say, I am most proud of training for and racing in the 2016 Ironman in Maryland. Though the swim was canceled and the bike shortened, both due to bad weather, I still raced that day by biking 100+ miles and then running a marathon (through flooded streets!) to complete the race. I think a close 2nd would be the 2018 Boston Marathon. The weather that day was terrible and most people had a bad day. I had the race of my life! I PRed the course and was able to run fast enough to qualify for Boston 2019. I actually loved the weather that day and smiled for almost the entire 26.2 miles.
You are more than just an athletic hero. You are also a hero as a family man as well as a teacher in the classroom. How do you balance work, life and training?
I try and strike a balance as I think almost any other age-grouper does. I like to train early in the morning, and so I’m able to get a workout in before school. When I’m not coaching, I’m also able to run after school some days. Of course, not teaching during the summer, allows me to get in long workouts during the weekdays, so I’m able to spend time at home on the weekend with my family. Of course, that’s when most races occur, so I’m often away for those.
I learned at a very young age, to ignore doubters. John Young
You mentioned that at one time you had people tell you that you couldn’t complete an Ironman or run a marathon. However, you proved them wrong by completing these epic adventures. What advice would you give others who feel set back by negative naysayers and are haunted by fear?
I learned at a very young age, to ignore doubters. I got that a lot growing up. “You’re too small for that” or “You might get hurt”, or “You’re not fast enough or big enough.” I never really thought about any multisport racing until I did my first race. It’s not something I aspired to. It’s just simply something I tried, that I liked, and I wanted to keep doing it. I think too many people spend their time telling OTHERS what they can and can’t do. I often look at those naysayers as motivation. When I was less than a mile from the finish line at Ironman Maryland, I remember yelling out loud for anyone to hear, “LOOK AT ME NOW!” I was yelling at all those naysayers from my past who told me, “You can’t do that.”
Every athlete is a nerd when it comes to training. What is your favorite gear to train with during your swim, bike, run, or rest & nutrition?
I love my BLUE SEVENTY Vector wetsuit. It was custom made and fits me perfectly.
My bike is a SEVEN Axiom SL. It also was custom designed and built here in Watertown, MA by Seven Cycles. I also have custom 20 inch wheels by HED and custom cranks by BIKESMITH in MN.
I used to run in K-SWISS shoes, but since they no longer make the model I used, I run in New Balance. I have to wear women’s sized shoes and they make a number of models that are WIDE, that fit my feet very well.
I prefer Honey Stinger gels for sure. They are easy on my stomach and I feel I gain the energy from them quite efficiently.
I have also used CARBOPRO powder mixed with a bit of lemon-lime Gatorade for my long runs and rides.
Do you have any future races you have in mind and any big goals to manifest there?
With everything happening in the world with COVID-19 I think most races are on hold. I was planning on doing the NYC Triathlon this summer as I haven’t missed that race since 2011. I am also registered for the Toronto (my hometown) Waterfront Marathon with hopes of qualifying for the 2021 Boston Marathon. But right now, I think everything is in limbo.
How can our readers follow your adventures in training and triathlon?
I’m on Facebook and then also have a fan page called John Young - The Hammer
My Sponsors
I would remiss if I left out how proud I am racing for Achilles International. I’ve been racing with them since 2012 and have often competed along with members from both the Boston and NYC chapters.
My coach Brian Hammond has been instrumental in helping me become a better athlete. We’ve worked together to figure out how to get this 50+ year old body moving efficiently and I’m pretty sure a lot of success is due to his help.
And many thanks to: