’ve spent much of my life working in the U.S. as a surgeon and researcher.
Through all of that, I’ve faced various types of stress and lived in many different environments.
To deal with that stress and to improve my health, I’ve tried all kinds of approaches.
As work-related stress increased and physical challenges grew with age, I began to wonder—how can I maintain my performance level in my 50s?
How do I free myself from stress and unlock my full potential?
I kept thinking about how I could tap into abilities within me that still felt asleep.
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From Gym Workouts to Swimming
I’d always liked exercise, and I went to the gym. But I never did any real, structured training.
Then one day, I suddenly started swimming—this was in my 50 years old.
I began by watching YouTube videos and mimicking what I saw.
At first, I could barely swim 25 meters. But little by little, I improved and increased my distance.
To my surprise and delight, I started enjoying it.
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Then Came the Road Bike
One day, I met someone who was into cycling. It sounded fun, so I gave it a shot.
I bought a road bike—but honestly, I didn’t even know where the gear shifters were. I had no idea about saddle height or riding position either.
I started riding in circles around my neighborhood, relying on what people said on YouTube.
Eventually, I began exploring local trails.
Riding through nature, feeling the wind—it was amazing.
Of course, I fell a few times. No broken bones, but I did suffer a concussion and ended up in the hospital.
Still, I was hooked. I started riding longer distances.
At first, 100 km on a bike sounded insane. But as I slowly built up distance, it became possible.
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Could I… Actually Try a Triathlon?
In college, I injured my knee and damaged a ligament.
Since then, running had always caused pain. Even 1–2 km would hurt.
On a treadmill, I could only manage 15–30 minutes, and the next day, walking would be tough.
But then I thought—if I can swim and bike… what if I could also run?
That wild idea led me to triathlon.
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Getting a Coach Changed Everything
I started looking into triathlon and quickly realized—there are endless training plans out there.
Managing three disciplines on my own felt impossible.
So, one day, I searched on Google and reached out to the first coach I found.
That’s how I met Melissa—an incredibly experienced triathlon coach.
All I needed to do was wear my GPS watch, upload the data, and occasionally message her.
From just that, she could tell how hard I was training, how tired I was, when I needed recovery, and what I should do next.
She gave me personalized training plans based on all of that.
That’s how my triathlon journey really began—and surprisingly, things started going well.
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Progress I Never Thought Possible
Before, I could barely run for 30 minutes without pain.
Now, my distance was slowly increasing. My biking improved. My swimming technique got better.
Roughly six months after I started, I entered two sprint-distance triathlons.
They were the shortest category of races, but I managed to finish both.
That alone was unbelievable for me.
Later, I continued training and completed an Olympic-distance triathlon:
1 km swim, 40 km bike, and a 10 km run.
I never thought I could complete something like that.
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Fast-Forward to This Year: Ironman Dreams
This January, I finished another triathlon—even in the coldest part of winter.
And now, I’m aiming for something even bigger:
Ironman.
Triathlon has shown me paths I never knew existed.
It’s helped me unlock talents I didn’t know I had.
And it’s led me into a whole new, incredible world.
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The Results? Stress Gone. Pain Gone. A New Me.
Through this journey, all the stress from work, the body aches, the fatigue—they’ve disappeared.
At the same time, my hidden potential has started to awaken.
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I’m Hooked on Triathlon—And I’m Just Getting Started
Honestly, I’m amazed every day.
By how far I’ve come.
By how much fun I’m having.
And by the new version of myself I’m discovering through this sport.
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What I Want to Share Through This Blog
If there’s anyone out there wondering, “Is this really how I want my life to stay?” — I want to tell you this:
Life can change at any age.
You are the one who knows your potential the least.
That’s why, through this blog, I want to slowly share how triathlon has changed both my body and mind—
and what it truly means to take on a challenge.
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“Today is the youngest you’ll ever be.”
With that belief in my heart, I’m taking the next step forward.