Mary Helen Darah

Amanda Ballard is proud to be an “Iron Mom.” The mother of three earned the title by swimming 2.4 miles, cycling 112 miles and running 26.2 miles in an Ironman event held in Des Moines, Iowa on June 12.

“I didn’t start running until 2021,” stated Ballard. “I didn’t run in high school or college. I did the “Couch to 5K” program. I started doing 5Ks and eventually did a half marathon. My friends encouraged me to consider triathlon racing. I purchased a road bike and learned how to swim. My first triathlon was in 2018. My first Half Ironman was to be in 2020 and I ended up doing a virtual race on my own with my friends after it was canceled in 2020. I did not complete a full marathon until the third part of this Ironman. This Ironman was my first full marathon.”

In the summer of 2021, Ballard completed her first official in-person Half Ironman races, first in Delaware, Ohio and then in Muncie, Ind. “I decided that I didn’t want to keep doing half-iron distance races. I wanted to complete and do a full distance race. I approached my husband, and he was not surprised.”

Participating in an Ironman is a huge physical challenge, and a large financial and time commitment, especially when you are a mother of three. Ballard was strategic about planning her training around her kids’ schedules. “My goal was to train while they were in school so I chose to race in June, just after the school year wrapped up,” she stated. “Thankfully, I was working part-time. I trained hard over the winter. Some days I would wake up at 3 am and ride my bike in the basement for hours. My training would be complete before the kids returned from school.”

Ballard was dealing with an additional responsibility while training. “My dad had major health problems going on while I was training. I would regularly train in the morning and visit him in the hospital in the afternoon. I would nap in the chair next to him so often that the nurses asked me if I worked a second-shift job.” He ended up passing on May 20, three weeks before the race in June. “I was his only child and was planning his funeral during the time I was preparing for this incredible challenge. It was incredibly taxing. I leaned heavily on my friends and family for support.”

The Ironman race was a family affair. “I wanted to choose a race that would have the least impact on our family,” she recalled. “I also wanted to drive my bike there and not fly. Flying a bike to a race is not easy. So, the whole family hopped in the car, and we headed to Des Moines, Iowa. We stayed six days in Des Moines.”

David Proudfoot also trained and participated in the race with Ballard. “We were all staying in the same hotel along with his wife. After the race, the Proudfoots were able to transport my bike home and our family headed west for a cross-country tour. We went through nine states, nine national parks and drove to California and back. The race was on June 12 and next thing we knew, we were in Rocky Mountain National Park camping in the cold. I joked that hiking may have helped me recover physically from the race.”

Ballard said she and her family learned many things through the experience. “Our three children were so proud and happy that I competed,” said Ballard. “They were along the course the whole way. At the run course they would see me and yell ‘Go Iron Mom! You got this!’”

The weather and course were incredibly challenging. The weather was 90 degrees with a high dew point, and there were over 40 hills on the bike course. These conditions were difficult to simulate while training in Ohio in the spring. Ballard recalled the final marathon portion, “The run course was a three-loop course where you run close to the finish line, but you are not done. The crowd would look and think I was finished, and I would yell that I had had another loop to go. People were struggling with the heat and getting sick. Pacing myself was incredibly important. When I crossed the finish line I saw my family and then Mike Reilly, the announcer, (the voice of Ironman) said ‘Amanda Ballard you are an Ironman.’ I cannot fully describe the exhilarating feeling I had when I heard that. I pointed to Heaven to thank God and my dad for being with me.”

After the long hours of training, Ballard said she would do it again. “Believe it or not, it was so much work, but I would love to experience it again,” she stated. “I think this time everything lined up perfectly. I was able to be there for my dad and be there for my family. I had support from my family and friends. With all the race delays and complications that accompanied the pandemic, I will tell you that it was worth the wait. I totaled up the training. From November 2021 to June of 2022, I rode 2000 miles on the bike (170 hours), did 549 miles of running (105 hours) and 69 miles of swimming (47 hours). I can honestly say it was all worth it. For those who want to get moving, get off the couch and take it one step at a time. You will not regret it. I am so honored to be an ‘Iron Mom.’”