BALLSTON SPA — As a physically active teenager, a young Jeff Cornick was watching the Ironman World Championships on TV when he said to himself, “Oh, I want to do that.”
What was once a dream he had as a kid became a reality in his 30s when he found himself representing Team USA in Weihei, China at the ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships this past September.
But the journey to get to that point was nowhere near what he had planned—something Cornick, 35, has taken in stride his whole life. Just like when he came out of the 2.5-mile fistfight of a swim in China spitting up blood, Cornick has accomplished his goals with the bumps and bruises to show for his hard work.
“Any person who has done an Ironman…it’s blood, sweat and tears,” Cornick said.
From Cornick’s own words, it’s simple. He doesn’t quit.
That’s part of the reason why one of the most difficult times in his life was when he graduated high school and was denied enlistment to the U.S. Marine Corps because of his asthma.
“I run a sub-five-minute mile and you’re going to turn me down with asthma?” Cornick remembered thinking. “It was heartbreaking. I wanted to go to Parris Island and represent not just our country, but I wanted to protect the rights of my family. That was the big thing. And I couldn’t do it. It was devastating.”
Up to that point, Cornick, who grew up in Saratoga Springs, played basketball and ran cross country and track at Schenectady Christian (now Mekeel Christian Academy). He went on to college, playing basketball on and off before losing interest.
It wasn’t until May of 2010 when the Computer Technician for the City of Saratoga Springs had a revelation about his dreams to compete in a full Ironman.
“I’m not getting any younger,” Cornick said to himself. “I need to do something about this.”
So, he scheduled for 2011 and 2012 with the goal of competing in Lake Placid’s Ironman in 2012. That includes a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a marathon run at the end (26.2 miles).
“It was a ‘I want to do one, complete it and my dream is complete’ type of thing,” Cornick said.
In 2011, he completed his first triathlon. He continued training 20-24 hours a week every week and the 6-foot-6-inch Cornick got his weight down to 215 pounds. He sacrificed time with his family and pushed onward.
Flash forward to three weeks before the 2012 Ironman. Cornick was racing the biking portion of a Half Ironman in Tupper Lake when his bike flipped. After a trip in the ambulance to the Emergency Room, he was told his left collarbone was broken and he could not participate in the upcoming Ironman.
Two years of training. Two years of sacrifice. Thousands of dollars spent on a race already paid for and he was told to sit in a figure eight brace to hold his shoulders back and re-align the bone.
There were a lot of tears, and the dream was over—until he went to the doctor two weeks later after having issues with the brace. It was at the point when he was analyzed and told he was way ahead of schedule and the brace was not needed as long as he stayed away from contact sports.
Although swimming in an Ironman is extremely physical, as far as his shot at competing in the upcoming Ironman, Cornick took the doctor’s advice as a “yes.”
Cornick worked on a one-armed swim stroke. He rode his bike on his street in Ballston Spa and practiced riding from the bull horns position to the arrow position. And by the time the Ironman came around, he was in the race.
He swam with one arm, biked 112 miles with all his weight on his right arm, and ran with his left arm in a sling. Despite people advising him that he would make his injury worse, he finished the Ironman.
But it wasn’t the race he wanted, so he signed up again for 2013. A year later, he raced the race he wanted and went on to compete in the Half Ironman in Lake George—Big George.
He didn’t just compete, though. He won his age group (30-34), which qualified him for the USAT National Championships in South Carolina.
The journey continued, as Cornick finished 12th. Finishing in the top 18 in your age group qualifies you for the World Championships.
Cornick continued training and even collected $918.45 worth of cans and bottles to support his trip to China, in addition to his sponsorships (chequed.com, ESMI Companies, Roadfox Ultimate Concept and Sibir Investment Advisors).
He left Sept. 16 to represent his country with some of the best athletes in the world.
Once again, things didn’t go as planned. After completing the 2.5-mile swim, he stopped to rest for a second on the bike. He was then approached by a medical team that began pulling at him toward an ambulance.
Despite waving them off and saying he was “OK,” and even taking his bike and trying to ride away, he was officially pulled out of the race.
“I don’t know if it was because of ITU governing body rules of the triathlon, a language barrier or possible lawsuits,” Cornick said. “But I made a mental note to let it go and enjoy the Great Wall and the Forbidden City and the Summer Palace. It was breathtaking. I was in China, halfway across the world. It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
For now, Cornick plans to devote more time to his two sons, Brayson (7) and Keaton (3).
“I had my moment of glory,” said Cornick, who plans on using his experience to encourage his sons to work hard. “Now, it’s their turn. I can tell them, ‘If you want to do something, do it. Go for it. Get after it. What’s stopping you?’”
Cornick plans on doing half Ironmans, and other short-distance Sprint and Olympic races for now, but has not ruled out returning to the likes of a full Ironman.
“I’m sure later. In a couple years, absolutely. It’s definitely a sickness. It’s not just a hobby. It’s a passion. It’s a way of life.”
