All hail the Ironman!

You know, there is nothing that pleases a blogger like me more than someone asking if they can share their story here.

I mean, yes! Obviously! Thank you!

And even better when the guest blogger is a young man I had written about in 2015 (and, yes, by the way, where on EARTH did those 9 years go?!!)

If you read Pankaj’s story from 2015, I mention at the time that I was blown away by his dedication and perseverance in the face of obstacles that would definitely deter a lesser mortal.

Cut to today’s blog post where I am left speechless with admiration at the grit and determination that this young man has won in pursuing his Ironman dream.

Pankaj’s own account of his Ironman experience is a nice, long read – beautifully written and a very gripping story – so I suggest you make yourself a cup of tea, and sit back and enjoy this long read.

It’s a long read, but so worth it. There is drama, disappointment, setback, and finally redemption – the whole 9 yards, and if anyone deserves to be an Ironman, it is this determined young man who kept getting knocked down (sometimes literally!) but kept picking himself back up.

And now, let’s listen to the Ironman, in his own words:

The race clock read 16:53:43 as Pankaj Kumar Singh stepped onto the red carpet at Ironman Malaysia in Langkawi 2025. Eight years of setbacks, injuries, DNFs, and self-doubt had led to this moment. The same island that had broken him twice was now about to witness his redemption. As the announcer’s voice echoed across the finish line—“Pankaj Kumar Singh from India, YOU are an Ironman!”—the journey that began with a dream during the Mumbai Marathon had finally come full circle.

“The alarm went off at 1:30 AM, but I had been awake for an hour, listening to the wind rattle the hotel window. In six hours, I would be bobbing in a sea with 2000 strangers, about to embark on a 140.6-mile redemption journey that I was entirely sure I could finish. Now, I was staring down the barrel of a day that would either break me or redefine me.”

The Foundation of an Ironman Dream

From mastering the basketball court to conquering marathon roads, Pankaj Kumar Singh had always carried the mindset of an athlete. Yet the spark that ignited his Ironman dream came unexpectedly during a Tata Mumbai Marathon.

In 2015, while running the Tata Mumbai Marathon, then known as the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, Pankaj was approaching the final 4kms of the race. The finish line was near, and like most runners at that stage, he was fully focused on maintaining his pace.

Suddenly, something unusual happened. Spectators along the road began clapping loudly, cheering, and cameras started flashing. For a moment, Pankaj was puzzled. He knew the stretch was relatively empty and wondered why the sudden excitement.

When he turned around, the reason became clear.

Running just behind him was Milind Soman (model and runner). That year, Soman had started the race late after forgetting his race bib and ended up running without it. Yet his presence alone had electrified the crowd. After the race, Pankaj became curious about the athlete who had drawn such energy from the spectators. He began following Soman on social media and soon noticed something interesting—frequent posts about intense training sessions for something called the Ironman.

That curiosity led him to search online for the Ironman Triathlon.

What he discovered fascinated him.

The race required athletes to complete 3.8 km of swimming, 180 km of cycling, and a 42.2 km marathon run—all within a single day. Many descriptions referred to it as one of the toughest single-day endurance races in the world.

For Pankaj, the challenge was instantly captivating.

The idea of pushing the limits of endurance at such an extreme level planted a powerful seed in his mind. From that moment onward, a new dream began to take shape—to one day stand at the finish line of an Ironman race.

Yet he also understood the reality ahead. Dreaming about an achievement and actually accomplishing it were two very different things.

And the journey from dream to finish line would prove to be far more challenging than he could have imagined.

Before the Start Line: The Challenges That Shaped the Journey

Long before standing at the start line of an Ironman Triathlon, the real journey had already begun for Pankaj. The decision to pursue Ironman was not sudden—it was the result of curiosity, research, and a gradual build-up of belief that one day the dream could become reality.

 Gathering Information

The journey began in February 2016, shortly after finishing the Mumbai Marathon. At that time, very few Indians had completed an Ironman—roughly 20 to 25 athletes. Finding reliable information about the race and preparation was difficult. Meeting experienced Ironman athletes personally seemed like another challenge altogether. To overcome this, Pankaj started reaching out to athletes through social media platforms, hoping to learn from their experiences.

However, responses were slow or sometimes non-existent.

Rather than giving up, he turned to the internet—reading blogs, race reports, and training guides. At the same time, he began preparing mentally for the challenge ahead. The idea of attempting an Ironman felt daunting, especially because he had never participated in a triathlon before. His longest endurance event until then had been the Mumbai Marathon.

A breakthrough moment came in 2017 when Pankaj attended a promotional run at India Gate and had the opportunity to meet Kaustubh Radkar, who had already completed Ironman multiple times. The interaction proved invaluable. Radkar shared insights into the preparation required for the race and provided a practical roadmap, including an estimate of the financial investment needed.

That conversation gave Pankaj the clarity and confidence to take the first real steps toward the Ironman goal.

However, it also revealed the next challenge—finding the right training infrastructure and equipment.

 Work–Life Balance

As a full-time IT professional, managing time became one of the biggest obstacles. Pankaj’s daily routine was demanding. His day often began around 5:00 AM, followed by a long commute to the office. Every day he travelled nearly 100 kms round trip by office cab.

By the time he returned home around 8:00 PM, most of the day had already passed. Within this tight schedule, finding time for Ironman training required discipline and careful planning.

The challenge was not just physical training—it was reorganizing life around the pursuit of a dream.

 Training Struggles

With limited time available each day, Pankaj had to find training facilities close to home. A 25-meter swimming pool nearby became the starting point for his swim training. Because of his office schedule, he joined an evening batch and practiced swimming after work.

Cycling posed another difficulty. Long outdoor rides—essential for Ironman preparation—were difficult to manage during weekdays due to time constraints. To address this, Pankaj purchased an indoor cycling trainer, allowing him to practice cycling sessions at home.

Running was the only discipline where he felt confident. Years of marathon experience had already built a strong running base, and he believed that completing the marathon portion of the race would be achievable within the required cutoff time.

Another limitation was financial.

Because Ironman training can be expensive, hiring a personal coach was not an option. Pankaj decided to prepare independently, learning from online resources and structuring his training to the best of his ability.

 Family Responsibilities

Balancing training with family life added another layer of complexity. After long office hours and training sessions, very little time remained for family.

There were many days when family commitments took priority, forcing him to skip training sessions. These interruptions sometimes disrupted the rhythm of preparation.

In December 2016, Pankaj got married—a joyous milestone in life but also a financial turning point. Wedding expenses depleted most of his savings, making it difficult to continue pursuing the Ironman goal immediately.

As a result, the dream had to be temporarily postponed.

 The Financial Cost of the Dream

Triathlon, particularly the Ironman distance, is not just physically demanding—it can also be financially challenging.

For Pankaj, coming from a modest financial background, this was perhaps the most daunting hurdle. The total cost of participating in an Ironman—including race registration, travel, training, and equipment for swimming, cycling, and running—was estimated at around ₹3 lakhs.

For someone carefully managing household finances, it was a significant amount.

There was also the concern of whether his family would support such an investment in a sporting dream.

Yet Pankaj remained committed to the vision. Soon, an opportunity presented itself when he changed jobs and received a salary hike. The additional income allowed him to begin saving gradually for the race.

Looking back, he believes that once a person truly commits to a dream, circumstances often begin to align in unexpected ways.

Because every Ironman story begins long before race day—with the courage to take the first step toward an extraordinary goal.

First Attempt at Ironman Malaysia – 2017

In May 2017, Pankaj registered for his first Ironman Malaysia, stepping closer to the dream of completing the legendary Ironman Triathlon.

At that point, he felt reasonably confident in all three disciplines. For swimming, he had been practicing consistently in a 25-meter pool, using a combination of freestyle and backstroke to ensure he could comfortably complete the distance. Cycling training included both indoor sessions on a trainer and outdoor rides, giving him confidence that he could finish the bike segment within the cutoff time. Running was the discipline he felt strongest in. With a solid marathon background, including multiple finishes at the Mumbai Marathon, he believed the marathon leg would be the most manageable part of the race.

Training had been progressing well. Mentally and physically, he felt ready. With one month left before race day, his schedule had shifted to tempo runs and brick workouts—sessions designed to simulate the transition from cycling to running.

Then, just ten days before the race, everything changed.

He began experiencing cold symptoms, body aches, and a high fever. Medical tests soon confirmed the diagnosis – Dengue Fever, with his platelet count dropping below 70,000. It was a serious health setback, and for most athletes, it would have meant immediately withdrawing from the race.

Yet even during that difficult period, Pankaj refused to let go of the dream. Confined to rest and recovery, he spent time visualizing race day—imagining the swim start, the bike course, and the finish line moment.

By then, adversity was not new to him.

Over the years, he had endured six ligament fractures in his left ankle, a clavicle fracture in his right shoulder, a nose fracture, recurring kidney stones, and had even survived a major accident. These experiences had built a level of mental toughness that convinced him he could still at least attempt to stand on the Ironman start line.

Seven days after the dengue diagnosis, another blood test showed improvement. With what he describes as “God’s grace,” his platelet count had climbed back to around 1.5 lakh. However, the weakness remained severe—he could barely manage basic work on his laptop.

Family members and relatives were understandably worried and urged him not to travel. To ease their concerns, Pankaj told many of them that he was simply going on a vacation and would likely skip the race. Only a few people knew the truth—that he still intended to stand at the start line.

And on race day, he did exactly that.

For the first time in his life, Pankaj stood at the start of Ironman Malaysia—nervous, excited, and hopeful.

But a few hours later, the story would take a different turn.

The swim began with adrenaline and excitement. Caught up in the energy of the moment, he started faster than planned. Within the first 200 meters, his heart rate rose sharply and refused to settle down, triggering a sense of panic. He moved toward the resting pontoon on the swim course and switched to backstroke to regain control of his breathing. During the chaos of the swim start, he also received a few accidental kicks on his face and chest from other swimmers and swallowed some sea water.

Gradually, he managed to regain some rhythm and continued swimming.

However, at around 1600 meters, his condition deteriorated. He suddenly felt dizzy, his vision blurred, and he began vomiting in the water. Realizing the situation was becoming dangerous, he paused to assess his condition.

After a moment of difficult decision-making, he raised his hand to signal for help. The rescue team quickly pulled him out of the water and took him to the medical tent.What happened next was unexpected.

Some time later, he heard volunteers calling out to him, asking if he could wake up because they needed to close the medical camp. When he opened his eyes and checked the time, he was shocked to learn that he had been unconscious for nearly three hours.

After checking his vital signs and confirming that he was stable, the medical team arranged transportation to the finish line area. From there, he eventually returned to his hotel room.

The emotions were overwhelming—sadness, embarrassment, disappointment. Sitting alone in the room, he found himself crying.

Soon after, his phone rang.

It was a video call from his wife, who had been tracking his progress online. The race tracker showed that he had stopped during the swim, confirming the dreaded result: DNF (Did Not Finish).

During the call, she noticed his red, swollen eyes and gently asked, “Are you crying?”

His father was sitting nearby and took the phone. Instead of expressing disappointment, he calmly said something that Pankaj would never forget:

“Why are you crying? You can try again next year.”

Those simple words changed everything.

Because the Ironman race involves significant financial investment, Pankaj had been worried whether his family would support another attempt. Hearing his father’s encouragement brought relief and renewed motivation.

Later that evening, he dressed up and returned to the finish line area. Instead of dwelling on the disappointment, he began talking to athletes who had successfully completed the race—learning from their experiences, training approaches, and preparation strategies.

He had come to Malaysia chasing a dream.

He was returning home with a DNF.

But he was also returning with something equally valuable—knowledge, experience, and a stronger determination to come back better prepared for the next attempt.

Second Attempt at Ironman Malaysia – 2017

Conversations with athletes who had successfully finished Ironman Malaysia helped him understand where he needed to improve. With renewed determination, he began preparing for a second attempt in 2018.

He registered for the race and restarted his training with greater clarity and discipline. However, life had another unexpected challenge waiting.

During this period, Pankaj was also consulting doctors for a personal health issue. After several consultations, the doctor gave advice that felt like a major setback: avoid putting excessive stress on the body and stop strenuous activity.

For someone already registered for an Ironman Triathlon, with travel bookings completed and months of preparation underway, the advice came as a shock.

After further consultations and medical discussions, the doctor eventually allowed him to continue training—but with strict limitations. He was advised to train for no more than one hour per day, avoid supplements and intense nutrition protocols, and ensure that his body was not pushed to exhaustion.

These restrictions forced him to completely redesign his training plan. On top of that, the medications he was taking caused side effects, including weight gain and frequent drowsiness, making training even more difficult than before.

Despite these challenges, Pankaj felt mentally stronger than he had been the previous year. Determined to give himself the best chance possible, Pankaj arrived in Malaysia ten days before race day to allow his body to adapt to the weather and conditions. He also planned to complete a few open-water practice swims.

During one of these practice sessions, he swam with a group of fellow athletes. When he checked his timing afterward, the results were disappointing. His pace felt slower than expected, and the familiar feeling of anxiety before the swim start began to creep back into his mind.

Sensing his concern, a fellow athlete friend named Anshul Agarwal approached him and asked why he looked so worried. Pankaj explained that his swim timing wasn’t good and that he was still feeling panic at the beginning of the swim.

Anshul asked him to swim 200 meters back and forth while he observed. After watching him closely, Anshul offered a few simple but powerful pieces of advice.

“There’s nothing wrong with your technique,” he said. “This is more about the mind. Break the swim into two halves. Don’t think about the entire distance—just focus on one lap at a time.”

The encouragement helped calm Pankaj’s mind and gave him renewed confidence before race day.

When race morning finally arrived, Pankaj once again stood at the start line of Ironman Malaysia—this time a little calmer, but still filled with excitement.

As the race horn sounded, hundreds of athletes surged into the water. Remembering Anshul’s advice, Pankaj started the swim at an easy pace, focusing only on maintaining rhythm and control. The strategy worked. He completed the first lap comfortably, surprising even himself. During the second loop, he gradually increased his pace. Midway through the swim he experienced a back cramp, but managed to overcome it using his racing experience and continued steadily.

By the time he exited the water, he had completed the swim in 1 hour and 45 minutes—a solid performance that boosted his confidence.

After transitioning to the bike, Pankaj settled into a comfortable pace and successfully crossed the first climb section of the course.

However, after some time on the bike, he began feeling low on energy. Deciding to take a short break for hydration and nutrition, he stopped by the roadside.

He consumed energy gels and bananas and sat down briefly to rest his legs. What happened next would ultimately define the race.

While resting, he unexpectedly fell asleep due to the side effects of the medications he had been taking. When he finally heard someone calling his name and urging him to get back on the bike, he suddenly realized what had happened.

Looking at his watch, he was shocked to see how much time had passed.

The delay meant he now had very little time to reach the first bike cutoff point.

Determined to recover lost time, he got back on the bike and pushed forward. But another mistake soon followed—he took a wrong turn on the course, losing several more crucial minutes.

By the time he reached the first cutoff checkpoint, the race was already over for him.

He had missed the cutoff by approximately 12 minutes.

With no choice left, Pankaj proceeded to Transition 2 to rack his bike. The realization slowly sank in—he had experienced another DNF.

Later, when he analyzed the data from his Garmin device, the numbers told the full story. His total stopped time on the bike was nearly 43 minutes, which included the unintended sleep break, the wrong turn, and even a minor bike crash earlier in the ride.

This time, however, his emotional reaction was different. He wasn’t crying. He was angry at himself.

Back at the hotel, he locked himself inside the room, replaying the race in his mind again and again. The most painful realization was that he had unknowingly slept for 25–30 minutes during the break—time that ultimately cost him the race.

Unlike the previous year, he did not return to the finish line area or attend the closing dinner ceremony. Instead, he quietly returned home carrying disappointment and embarrassment.

After the second failure, even family encouragement had grown quieter. The dream that once felt exciting now seemed uncertain. Yet deep inside, Pankaj still believed something important.

This was not how his Ironman story was supposed to end.

When the Ironman Dream Took a New Turn

Sometimes life reshapes our plans in unexpected ways.

Soon after his second attempt at Ironman Malaysia, Pankaj and his family received wonderful news—they were expecting their first child. What had once felt like a difficult phase due to medication and health restrictions now turned into a moment of happiness and new responsibility.

Because the expected delivery dates coincided with the race schedule, Pankaj had to make a difficult but meaningful decision: he would skip the 2019 Ironman Malaysia race to be with his family during this important milestone.

For any athlete chasing a long-term goal, stepping away from a dream race can feel frustrating. Yet for Pankaj, this was simply a temporary shift in the journey, not the end of it.

Even though the Ironman dream had taken a slight detour, the commitment to it remained strong. Behind the scenes, he continued training, rebuilding his fitness, and preparing mentally for the next opportunity to return to the start line.

Because sometimes in endurance sports—and in life—the path to the finish line is not always straight. It simply takes a different turn before continuing forward.

The Years That Nearly Broke the Dream

The year 2020 began with hope. Pankaj was preparing once again to chase his long-standing dream of finishing Ironman Malaysia. Training had resumed, motivation was high, and the focus was firmly set on returning stronger than before.

But the world had other plans.

In March 2020, the outbreak of COVID-19 led to a global lockdown. Travel restrictions were imposed, races across the world were cancelled, and training infrastructure such as pools and tracks suddenly became inaccessible. Like millions of athletes worldwide, Pankaj’s structured preparation came to a halt.

What initially felt like a short interruption slowly turned into a prolonged pause. Months of restrictions affected not just physical fitness but mental resilience as well. With races cancelled and uncertainty everywhere, motivation began to fade. The years 2020, 2021, and much of 2022 passed without any road races or consistent training. Gradually, both physical conditioning and mental sharpness declined.

When Pankaj finally decided to return to running in mid-2022, the reality was sobering.

He entered the Delhi Half Marathon in October as a test of his fitness. The first 10 KM felt manageable, but by the 16-km mark, exhaustion set in. It was a difficult realization. The same athlete who once treated 21 km as an easy run now struggled to finish the race. He crossed the finish line in 2 hours and 52 minutes, not with satisfaction but with a sense of shock. That race forced him to confront a painful truth—his endurance had fallen far from where it once was.

Determined to rebuild properly, Pankaj decided it was time to seek professional coaching, especially with the aim of attempting an Ironman again in 2023. He reached out to several coaches and training groups, but responses were limited, leaving him to navigate the journey largely on his own.

Despite the uncertainty, he set a new target: the Ironman 70.3 Goa in 2023.

However, life outside sport was becoming equally challenging. Personal pressures and professional responsibilities began to mount. The constant balancing act between work, family, and training slowly took a toll on his mental health. Pankaj slipped into a phase of depression, and health issues such as high blood pressure began to surface.

During this time, he often felt isolated, caught between expectations and self-doubt.

Still, he showed up at the start line of Ironman 70.3 Goa 2023, hoping to turn things around. The swim segment went well, completed in 48 minutes, but the challenge returned during the cycling leg. Despite pushing hard, he missed the cycling cutoff by around 11 minutes, resulting in yet another DNF.

That moment was one of the lowest points in his journey.

For the first time, Pankaj began to seriously question himself. The inability to regain peak fitness, struggles with weight management despite intense effort, and repeated race failures created deep frustration. At one point, he even considered giving up the Ironman dream entirely.

But sometimes, the strongest comebacks begin in the darkest moments.

Instead of quitting, Pankaj chose to stand up again. He decided to attempt Ironman 70.3 Goa once more in 2024, this time with a smarter approach. Training had to adapt to real-life constraints—cycling on elevated roads to simulate race terrain, swimming in a 25-meter pool due to limited access to larger facilities and managing sessions around work and family responsibilities.

The preparation was not perfect, but it was focused.

And finally, in 2024, the breakthrough arrived.

Pankaj successfully finished Ironman 70.3 Goa 2024, marking his first major success in triathlon. Crossing that finish line brought immense relief and happiness. Yet even in that moment of celebration, his analytical mind was already looking ahead. The cycling leg still needed improvement if he wanted to complete a full Ironman.

A few days later, he made a decision that would reopen an unfinished chapter.

He registered once again for Ironman Malaysia in 2025.

Because there was still one story left to complete…Ironman Malaysia in Langkawi, the island that had once broken him.

The Red Carpet – Redemption in Langkawi

Eight years after first chasing the dream, Pankaj returned to the same battlefield—Ironman Malaysia in Langkawi.

The same island. The same brutal humidity. The same course that had once handed him heartbreak.

But this time, everything was different.

The body had been tested for years. Injuries, kidney stones, cramps, dehydration—he had raced through all of it before. He had completed marathons while battling kidney stone pain, sometimes taping his lower back just to keep moving. He had run through cramps and dehydration during the Mumbai Marathon over the years. His preparation was built on resilience.

Swimming sessions meant endless laps in a 25-meter pool, sometimes even shorter lanes, building endurance one stroke at a time. Cycling involved countless indoor trainer hours combined with demanding outdoor rides.

Running, however, remained his strongest weapon—years of endurance had trained him to walk a marathon distance within the Ironman cutoff if needed.

He knew that if the race came down to survival, he would still finish.

A New Challenge Before the Start

Just days before the race, another obstacle appeared.

Pankaj began to feel discomfort in his kidneys. Tests confirmed stones in both kidneys. But unlike previous years, panic never entered his mind. Instead, he adjusted his strategy.

The nutrition plan had to change completely. Dry fruits, sprouts, milk, and energy gels—foods he had relied on in training—were removed from his race plan. Instead, he chose a liquid-based hydration strategy, relying mainly on electrolyte drinks and glucose hydration to minimize kidney stress.

Travel to Malaysia was also rushed due to a festival at home. He arrived just two days before race day, leaving little time for acclimatization. Still, he completed a calm solo practice swim and finished the mandatory bike and run check-ins.

Everything was ready.

 Race Morning

November 1, 2025.

At 1:30 AM, the alarm rang.

After fueling up, Pankaj headed toward the beach where nearly 2000 athletes were preparing to enter the water.

In a few moments, they would begin the legendary 140.6-mile Ironman journey.

Standing at the start line, he kept his mind calm. No excitement. No rush. Just a simple strategy: control the pace

and execute the plan. The race horn sounded.

 The Swim

Stroke by stroke, Pankaj moved steadily through the water. The first 1.9 km loop passed smoothly, and he entered the sea again for the second loop. A few kicks from nearby swimmers and a slight cramp tested his rhythm, but he kept moving.

When he exited the water, the clock showed 1 hour 36 minutes.

It was slower than his planned 1:25, but it was controlled—and more importantly, it was strong.

 The Bike

After a transition of 11 minutes, he mounted his bike and began the long ride.

Mile by mile, he stuck to his hydration plan—only electrolyte water and glucose drinks. At around 60 km, a small crash briefly interrupted the ride. He stood up, checked himself, and continued.

The first 100 km passed within the cutoff window.

But the race was far from over.

By the 150 km mark, fatigue began creeping in. Pankaj realized the margin for the next cutoff was shrinking again. Memories of previous DNFs flashed briefly in his mind. He whispered a quiet prayer and pushed forward.

He knew the final 25 kms were mostly flat.

That was his chance.

With determination, he increased his effort and reached Transition 2 just 2 minutes and 30 seconds before the cutoff.

For the first time that day, he smiled.

Because he knew the run was his territory.

 The Run

While changing in T2, Pankaj felt confident. He had 6 hours and 30 minutes to complete the marathon—something he had practiced for years, even during long walks in previous editions of the Mumbai Marathon.

The first 21 kms were completed comfortably in three hours.

Night had fallen over Langkawi. Everything was going according to plan.

Then suddenly, his left ankle twisted—the same ankle that had suffered six ligament fractures in the past. Luckily, medical support was nearby. After quick treatment, he returned to the course, determined not to lose momentum.

To recover lost minutes, he ran fast the next 2 kms.

At 30 km, painful blisters began to form.

At 35 km, the most feared problem arrived—kidney stone pain.

But Pankaj had prepared for this moment. He drank water, applied KT tape to his lower back, and kept moving.

Years of racing through pain had taught him one unbreakable rule: “Mind over body”

“My resume didn’t read like a triathlete’s. It read like an ER intake form: six ankle fractures, a broken

clavicle, recurring kidney stones, and two years of DNF heartbreaks. But an Ironman isn’t won with perfect

ligaments; it’s won with the scar tissue of a mind that refuses to stay down.”

 The Finish Line

As I entered the final stretch of 500 meters, a wave of nostalgia washed over me, recalling past disappointments, injuries, the agony of intense training, and the darkness of depression. However, as I finally reached the finish line, I was met with an overwhelming sense of pride, tears streaming down my face, and the moment forever preserved by the camera.

The clock stopped at: 16 hours, 53 minutes, 43 seconds.

That was how long it took to close an eight-year chapter. That was how long it took to turn failure into victory.

Then came the words every endurance athlete dreams of hearing:

“Pankaj from India — YOU are an IRONMAN!”

In 2017, that sentence felt like a fantasy. In 2018, it felt like a taunt. In 2025, it felt like a homecoming. In that moment, Pankaj wasn’t just finishing a race. He was fulfilling a promise he had made to himself eight years earlier.

Because the Ironman journey is never just about swimming, cycling, and running.

It is about faith, resilience, and the courage to rise again—no matter how many times you fall.

As the medal was placed around my neck, I didn’t feel the weight of the ribbon; I felt the lifting of a much heavier burden. I realized that the “failures” of my past weren’t wasted time—they were the training ground. You cannot build a fortress on a foundation that hasn’t been tested. My fractures had forced me to learn patience. My depression had forced me to find a light within myself when the world went dark. My financial struggles had taught me that wealth isn’t in a bank account, but in the discipline of how you spend your heartbeat.

When my father heard that I had finished Ironman Malaysia, he proudly told everyone around him, “My son is a world champion.” And at that moment, I knew the boy who once dreamed about Ironman had finally become the man who finished it.

I am often asked if the pain was worth it. To me, that’s the wrong question. The pain was the point. It was the raw material I used to forge a version of myself that can no longer be broken by a bad day, a bad break, or a bad year.

I am an Ironman.

But more importantly, I am a man who learned that as long as there is a minute left on the clock, there is a chance for a comeback.

Whew!

Wasn’t that quite the adventure?

Well done, Pankaj. Super well done and thank you SO much for sharing this extraordinary story of grit and determination with us.