Riverwood Teachers Share IRONMAN Experience

From Riverwood International Charter School: Riverwood International Charter School teachers Laura Bradley and Lauren Fogarty recently completed the 2017 IRONMAN Louisville triathlon in Louisville, Kentucky.

On Sunday, October 15, Bradley became an Ironman by completing a 2.4 mile swim down the Ohio River, a 112 mile bike ride through the country roads of LaGrange, and a 26.2 mile run through the heart of downtown Louisville.

“The journey to becoming an Ironman is what I like to call a pilgrimage,” notes Bradley. “It is many grueling hours before the world is awake spent swimming at the pool, riding on the bike, or hitting the pavement. As I continued through my journey and posted my progress along the way on social media, I soon found out that I had so much support. After only a matter of time it was no longer about me… I was representing my family in a major competition and I was teaching young minds that hard work pays off.”

This was Bradley's first Ironman; it was Fogarty's fourth.

Both faculty members shared their experiences with their students as a means to teach life lessons.

Fogarty told her class: “You are capable of much more than you realize; no reward of great magnitude comes easily. You need to learn to set small goals along the way to reaching a greater goal, otherwise it is easy to become frustrated and give up. And in the end, the sacrifice is always worth it!”

Bradley kept her students abreast of her training schedule, races along the way, and the difficulties she had to overcome. She showed them videos of IRONMAN events as well as videos and photos from her personal race experience. She has been asked to speak to Riverwood’s Achieving Via Individual Determination (AVID) students on how determination, dedication, and overcoming obstacles can help them achieve their dreams.

When not swimming, running, and biking to the extreme, Bradley and Fogarty are members of the Riverwood English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) faculty. Additionally, Fogarty is the faculty sponsor of the Raider Vegetarian Club; Bradley is the Lady Raiders Golf Coach. Both have plans to compete in future triathlons and Fogarty is training for the 2018 Boston Marathon.

Image Via Riverwood Int'l School