They are the first mother-daughter duo to compete in the Ironman World Championship, which is, essentially, the Super Bowl of Ironman triathlons.
It’s about a 17-hour competition where athletes have to complete a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and then a marathon, which is a 26.2-mile run.Beth James, 54, has not only finished one -- an accomplishment by itself -- but she does it with her 23-year-old daughter, Liza James, who is nonverbal and unable to walk.“Our time is no different than the 20-year-olds or the 80-year-olds," Beth James said.
Finally, for the marathon portion, Liza James sits in the racing chair that resembles a stroller as Beth James powers through.“We really need to stop and think what humans are capable of if you can channel something like that maternal love instinct that she has for her daughter,” trainer Peter Defty said.
Liza James, then 6 years old, was in a coma for more than two months. Beth James said doctors had to cut part of her skull -- about the size of Beth James’ palm -- to allow the brain to swell.Liza James is healthy, but she needs assistance eating and drinking. “I thought, ‘Beth, you need to get up. You need to care for the children. You need to go for a run. You need to clear your head.’”
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