Capt. David Wennerstrom is an iron man

  • Published
  • By Tech Sgt. Kent Kagarise
  • 442nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. --  Within seconds of the Ironman triathlon's first leg, his goggles were kicked off his face by one of the 1,800 other swimmers. Water splashed all around him making it impossible to see. At that point a man pushed him under and swam over top of him.

"I thought my nose was broken -- I struggled to breathe -- it seemed like the worst possible start."

For Capt. David Wennerstrom, 442nd Civil Engineer Squadron assistant operations flight commander, completing the Ironman Texas, (2.5 miles swimming, 112 miles cycling and 26 miles running in 17 hours) was the culmination of seven months of grueling training while deployed to Afghanistan.

"There's not much to do over there in your off time so I exercised a lot," Wennerstrom said. "I started by running a mile in August, and by November I was running marathons around the base perimeter - seven and a half laps to hit 26 miles on my Fridays off."

Wennerstrom dodged incoming ordinance and rocks thrown by Afghan children while he ran on the half-paved trail that was in sight of the Pakistani border.

"The incoming rounds provided a nice break from the run while I hunkered down in a bunker, "Wennerstrom said. "The kids are taught to hate us, so I'd try to smooth them over by giving them sodas, candy or soccer balls when we were outside the wire. The rocks came close, but they never hit me."

To prepare for the Ironman, Wennerstrom searched online to find out how to train for them and began a regimen on a stationary bike where he multitasked.

"I would ride for eight to ten hours a week and prop up my correspondence course books for Air Command and Staff College. I finished a one year in-residence course in six months by doing that," Wennerstrom said.

Wennerstrom also encouraged fellow Airmen who were struggling with their fit-to-fight test by saying they should start with something small and not get discouraged.

"Don't think about speed -- build on your current state, work through the pain and then wake up early and do it all over again," he said. "When you start accomplishing things it'll motivate you. I never thought when I was running three miles I'd be running marathons, but in a few months it happened."

Wennerstrom said Airmen should understand what the human body can do. When 90-degree heat gave him tunnel vision and caused him to pass out in the twelfth mile of the marathon portion of the Iron Man, he persevered.

"I came to with dirt in my mouth, volunteers giving me water and ice and asked me if they should call emergency medical services," Wennerstrom said. "They thought I was crazy when I told them I wanted to continue."

Wennerstrom said he does not think he is crazy, rather extremely determined and disciplined. He is motivated by the memory of his father, confined to a recliner for two years before succumbing to post-polio.

"He didn't have the freedom to walk or even stand-up. I think of him when I'm going through tough times training -- there will be a day when I can no longer run, but today is not that day," Wennerstrom said.

Wennerstrom said his officer in charge in Afghanistan was Army Maj. Kevin McGoldrick, judge advocate general's office, ran on occasion with him but the most he did was a little over one of the 7.5 mile laps.

"Despite the challenges of being at a forward operating base, without the usual facilities he was able to stay motivated," McGoldrick said. "His motivation made it easy for others to stick with their fitness goals and contributed to good morale and constructive stress management."

Master Sgt. John Berendzen, 442nd CES emergency management superintendent, cycled once with Wennerstrom and said he set out to do 30 miles and ended up doing 63.

"He's extremely goal oriented," Berendzen said. "We see it around here -- if he accomplishes one goal he's looking down the road for the next one."

Wennerstrom said he has no plans of quitting and will be representing the Air Force in: Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, an approximately 500 mile ride. In September he will be with the Whiteman Running Team for the Air Force Marathon at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio.

"There are so many ways for Airman to represent the Air Force through sports," Wennerstrom said. "I urge all Airmen to get out there and put an emphasis on their own fitness and take advantage of all the opportunities given to them."

Wennerstrom said when he looks back on the past year the memory that sticks out most to him was when he crossed the finish-line of Ironman Texas at 10 p.m., (15 hours after he started) and heard booming from the nearby speakers.

"David Wennerstom - you are an iron man!"

It is this sense of accomplishment that Wennerstrom said he hopes every Airman gets to feel when they cross the many finish-lines of life.