Days before the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship returns to Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i several of the field’s most inspiring athletes will share their stories of overcoming adversity and empowering others to prove that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE
*IRONMAN Ambassador Athletes:
- Sebastien Bellin (Belgium) – Sebastien is a Brazilian born, former professional basketball player that played for the Belgian National basketball team. Bellin played professional basketball from 2010 to 2015. In 2016, Bellin was seriously injured in the Brussels Bombing. He spent four months in hospital care and had over a dozen operations from the suicide bombings. Now six years later, Bellin has become a hero after the attacks because of his bounce back and positivity he’s shared with the community. Bellin resolved not to see himself as a victim but as a survivor. He wants to continue to overcome his new physical ailments and inspire and encourage others.
- Sam Holness and Antony Holness [Dad and Coach] (Kingston Vale, London, England) – Also known as Super Sam, Holness has his sights set on one day becoming the first openly Autistic professional triathlete. Until then, he will be the first known openly autistic person to compete at the IRONMAN World Championship. The 27-year-old athlete trains like every other competitor, swimming, running and cycling roughly 12-16 hours per week. His focus and never-give-up attitude are key characteristics that set him apart as a competitor. In June, Holness became the world’s first openly autistic person to complete a full-distance triathlon at Mainova IRONMAN European Championship Frankfurt.
- Ryan Kinder (Nashville, Tenn., USA) – Singer, songwriter, guitarist and country artist Ryan Kinder is a heartfelt performer with a bent toward soulful country and pop. In addition to his music career, Kinder is training for the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship, in which he’s participating in honor of a friend who died of cancer. In 2018, Kinder was training for an IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon with his close friend, Kyle Wagley, who was an Apache pilot in the Army. Sadly, Kyle was diagnosed with cancer and passed away in 2017 before having the chance to compete. Since Kyle’s passing, Ryan has raced in triathlons, marathons and other competitions in Kyle’s honor—he will carry on the tradition this year at the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship. He and his wife, former Tennessee Titans Cheerleader are the co-founders of Kinder’s Kids, which delivers toys to children affected by national disasters.
- Noel Mulkey (Pictured, Tulsa, Okla., USA) – Mulkey, a Tulsa, Oklahoma native, will tell you he is a former overweight drug addict who found a love for triathlon and turned his life around because of it. Playing soccer and swimming to escape bullying in middle school, Noel struggled to find an outlet to channel the pain and frustration he experienced while in high school. At his worst, he would regularly spend $500 a day on heroin until checking into a clinic with the support of his family to begin a much-desired recovery. In an effort to lose the weight gained after replacing his substance urges with food, Noel made the decision to lose the weight and begin a living a healthier lifestyle. He took up running, even averaging 60 to 70 miles a week which led to the decision to mix it up with swimming and biking. Discovering triathlon, Noel had turned his life around for the better racing multiple IRONMAN 70.3 events, qualifying for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship and even finishing his first full-distance IRONMAN triathlon in Panama City Beach in the fall of 2020. Always open to sharing his experience, Noel continues to document his day-to-day training on social media. After the pandemic hit, he picked up TikTok even amassing over 1.4 million followers while sharing his training routine which often includes waking up at 3:30 a.m., setting off on 60-mile indoor bike rides and four-mile runs — accomplishing all before noon each day. Noel won his age group at the inaugural edition of IRONMAN Tulsa triathlon in 2021 and earned his slot to race at the 2022 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship.
- Chris Nikic and Dan Grieb [Guide] (Maitland, Fla., USA) – Chris is a full of life, 22-year-old who made history when he became the first person with Down syndrome to complete a full-distance IRONMAN triathlon when he finished the Visit Panama City Beach IRONMAN Florida triathlon in November of 2020 earning a Guinness World Record and and ESPY Award in the process. Living by his mantra, 1% Better Each Day, is something that drives this ambitious young athlete. Through the support of his parents, coaches, TriClub and community, Chris has set his mindset to always get 1% better at something, even if it takes him longer. Throughout his training and completion of IRONMAN Florida, Chris continues to inspire others to follow in his footsteps. Spreading his message to others in the Down syndrome community to be 1% better every single day in every aspect of life, Chris might be the first, but he certainly hopes that he will not be the last. Outside of triathlon, Chris also works on his career in public speaking. He speaks on the habit of getting 1% better each day in order to achieve your goals. Chris is using triathlon and IRONMAN training as a path to independent living. Chris, along with his guide, fellow triathlete and friend Dan Grieb, are prepared to undertake his next big challenge in Kona.
- Lauren Parker (Newcastle, Australia) – In early April 2017, Australian triathlete Lauren Parker was at the peak of her career. After finishing second in her age group in the 2015 IRONMAN World Championship, the 28-year-old triathlete was training for 35 hours a week, intending to make the podium at IRONMAN Australia. A life altering bike crash changed everything. Parker has since received life-changing help from organizations such as the Challenged Athlete’s Foundation (CAF) in getting back to the sport and into her new sport of paratriathlon. Parker’s transition to adapted sport was one of the quickest the ITU has on record. Nine months after the accident, she finished second at the 2018 St. Kilda OUT Paratriathlon Oceania Championships and has since achieved the following accolades: 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze medalist, 2018 ITU World Paratriathlon bronze medalist and 2019 ITU World Paratriathlon champion. Only several months after an impressive Paralympic silver medal performance at the 2020 Games in Tokyo, she completed the 2021 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship. In May, Parker became only the third female in the handcycle division to finish the IRONMAN World Championship. She now heads to Hawai`i, ready to compete to compete in the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship.
- Corrie Weilkle (Juneau, Alaska) – Corrie is dynamic and exudes a positive personality with a passion for triathlon and the IRONMAN mission and values. Corrie resides in Juneau, Alaska, and spends her 9-5 coaching C-level executives on managing stress. She credits training for IRONMAN triathlons with helping her guide other people in doing hard things. While her training certainly benefits others, she finds that IRONMAN has helped her work through some intergenerational trauma and hardships in her lifetime. Corrie is one of 12 local Alaskan athletes who qualified for the VinFast IRONMAN World Championship at IRONMAN Alaska, part of the VinFast IRONMAN U.S. Series.