Ironmanlife: Go Ryan Go!

Kevin Mackinnon reports that Ryan Van Praet is much more than a Blazeman Warrior

In 2005 Jon Blais did the impossible in Kona. He completed the Ford Ironman World Championship despite having been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease. On Saturday Ryan Van Praet will race with Blais' number (179) in honor of the great Blazeman warrior.

While we're likely to hear more than our fair share of the “Anything is Possible” stories this week, I can guarantee that there won't be a whole lot of dry eyes at the finish line when Ryan Van Praet gets there on Saturday, and not just because he'll be wearing that 179. Those tears will be coming down because he's living proof that anything is possible and that one man can make a difference. Jon Blais changed a whole lot of lives ... Ryan Van Praet is doing the same, both on behalf of Blais and by his own exploits.

Saturday could very well be the last Ironman Van Praet will be able to do by himself. Born with a disease called retinitis pigmentosa, he's going blind. The 28-year-old from Chatham, Ontario has grown up with the knowledge that he would likely lose his sight by the time he reaches his 30s. 

When he was a youngster, his parents were told that they could approach his life in one of two ways: they could try to shield him from the world and protect his every step, or they could let him explore the world, watch him fall and then encourage him to get himself up.

Adelard Van Praet, Ryan's father, boldly followed the latter option.

“He was one of my biggest supporters, who always told me to try hard, never give up, be proud of who you are and what you accomplish in life, and leave your mark by being a kind soul who others enjoy being around,” says Ryan.

Around the same time that Jon Blais was given the death-sentence that is an ALS diagnosis, Adelard Van Praet got the same news, which suddenly made Blais' exploits that much more important for Ryan. Adelard passed away almost a year ago, but before he did his son honored him with these words when he was presented the Ford Everyday Hero award at Ford Ironman Lake Placid:

“This is to honour my dad, to show the world that he is a true Ironman because of the kind of determined person he is,” Van Praet said. “To show the world that he gave me what I have, he treated me like any other boy, let me fall, and pick myself up, try things most thought he shouldn't let me try because I could hurt myself, or get embarrassed or embarrass him. He didn't care, he knew that to succeed I needed to grow up to be more determined than any other person I was around ... and I have done that. I get all my strength from what taught me, from how he raised me. He gave me inclusion, he gave me courage, he gave me pride, now it's my turn to try and give back.”

Give back? This is a guy who has raised thousands of dollars for the Blazeman Foundation. He’s completed five Ironmans already. He was named the Ford Everyday Hero at Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid last year. He organizes a huge spin-a-thon to raise money for the Blazeman Foundation. He … well, let’s leave it at this: Ryan Van Praet has done lots of giving back and will continue to do so for a while. Next weekend he’ll be doing that again, while reminding us of how important it is to do whatever we can to raise money to try and stop ALS. 

Worried that he might not be able to finish the race before it gets dark (at which point he can’t see at all), Van Praet has asked Brian Breen the man who first wore race number 179 in Kona to honor Blais, to help guide him through the marathon. I can’t wait to see them come across the line. It’s going to be a pretty historic finish, one that we’ll make sure to cover during our live coverage of the Ford Ironman World Championship that starts tomorrow.