Madison firefighter competes in Ironman races, wearing full fire gear in last leg to raise money for organ donation and firefighters with cancer

Wisconsin State Journal | Samara Kalk Derby


Photo: Rob Verhelst makes his way up a hill wearing a 45-pound weight vest during a training session near his Waunakee home.

For the uninitiated, it’s hard to imagine what it feels like to participate in the grueling athletic competition known as the Ironman: the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike race and 26.2-mile run all in one stretch.

Now imagine doing the last leg weighed down by 50 pounds of firefighter gear.

Unimaginable?

Not to Robert Verhelst, 34, a Madison firefighter, who is on an almost superhuman quest to complete 11 full and two half Ironman races in one year, wearing his professional gear to walk-run the marathon portion.

“The first time I did it I didn’t know what to expect,” Verhelst said. “I’d been in fires, I’d worn the gear for the job for the 12 years that I’ve done it. ... I knew it was going to be hot, I knew it was going to be heavy, but I knew that mentally I would have to overcome that to get through it.”

By now, he’s had the mental and physical toughness to overcome it 11 times. His first race in full gear was in July 2011 at the Racine half Ironman, when the heat index for the run reached almost 100 degrees.

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