Although the record-breaking heat caused 188 Ironman Triathlon competitors to quit Sunday’s race in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, nothing stopped blind veteran Scotty Smiley. The retired major crossed the finish line with his brother-in-law, Andy Cooper, at 10:20 p.m., after a 16-hour journey. Smiley told People Magazine, “There were so many times I just wanted to quit and give up. I just couldn’t see the end in sight.” Though Smiley couldn’t see his progress, he could hear his family behind him. His wife Tiffany rode her bike alongside him for half of the marathon. “It was amazing to hear them as I transitioned from the bike to the run – throughout the run just screaming my name,” Smiley said. “And then to be there to give my wife and my boys a hug, it was a great feeling.” In April 2005, Smiley lost his vision and was partially paralyzed in northern Iraq when a suicide car bomb went off and spewed shrapnel.
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Blind Veteran Finishes Ironman Triathlon: Watch!
