The Transformation Of Montclair's Dr. Robert Nossa From Amateur Athlete To Ironman

A series of random events led to the transformation of Montclair's Dr. Robert Nossa from amateur athlete to Ironman.

The dermatologist, whose practice is in Verona, has been a runner for years, completing his first marathon in 1999. Since then, he has run one or two marathons a year. But a couple of years ago, he developed a chronic use injury to his hip, so he moved to a multi-sport regimen that included swimming and biking.

His competitive spirit lead him to half Ironman races. But he said he always felt awful afterwards, so much so that he had little desire to try a full Ironman. But then he saw he could apply for a lottery spot in the Ford Ironman World Championship based on his qualifying numbers in his age group.

He sent in the lottery, figuring there was no way he'd get picked. The race features 1,800 premier athletes who qualified outright and then another 200 lottery winners who are more "normal people," according to Nossa.

"I just thought I'd throw my name in," Nossa remembered. But, on April 15, he got an email saying he'd been selected for the Ford Ironman World Championship in Hawaii. The race is on Saturday, October 9.

"Basically, I felt ill," he said. "If you were in my office that day you would have seen my face turn gray."

Nossa said it was a cautionary tale: one should be careful what they ask for.

Despite his unease, he knew he'd enter the race. "This is a type of invitation you can't refuse," he said, adding that he began training with his triathlete coach right away.

The Ironman race is one of the world's most grueling annual races. Nossa's Ironman, scheduled for Saturday, is in Kona, Hawaii and involves swimming 2.4 miles in the ocean with waves, 112 miles of  biking, and then running a 26.2 mile marathon — all in blazing heat over the course of a day. 

Nossa said that while he realized this was largely a personal adventure, he decided he would also use it to help raise awareness for the Skin Cancer Foundation. The foundation has been very active in making people aware of what to look for in terms of skin changes. Nossa noted that outdoor athletes don't often think of skin protection.

"This is a good bridge between an athletic lifestyle and skin protection," Nossa said. In addition to protecting yourself, you also need to be able to identify changes in the skin, he added.

His training spots included the Montclair Y, Glen Ridge Country Club, and Cape Cod. He also spent a lot of early mornings biking New Jersey roads to build mileage. His wife, Jennifer Odell, is an endurance athlete too and runs the Boston Marathon every year. She and their two young children will be rooting Nossa along as he attempts the race.

Initially his kids were skeptical their dad could finish the race, but now they are excited, he said. The race gives competitors 17 hours to finish the course from 7 a.m. until midnight.

"I will absolutely finish the event," Nossa said. "I have a time in mind and I'm open to falling an hour or two short of that."

To make a donation to the Skin Cancer Foundation for the race go here. Nossa practices in Verona and West Orange with The Dermatology Group in New Jersey.