“I realized the only failure is not to try because your effort in itself is a success.”
The 86-year-old has earned the nickname ‘The Iron Nun’, having completed more than 40 Ironman races in the past 30 years. Sister Madonna Buder first got into exercise after attending a workshop led by a priest who championed running as a way to harmonize the mind, body, and soul. But after seven years of running, she craved more and signed in her first triathlon, intrigued by the variety it offered. The rest, as they say, is history.
She completed her first Ironman race - comprising of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run - in 1985, aged 65. At 75, she became the oldest woman to ever complete an Ironman triathlon. At 82, she set a world record as the oldest Ironman triathlon competitor.