Ambassadors of Ironman World Championship share their inspiration to take on grueling 140.6-mile triathlon

For every triathlete who makes the long, grueling journey to get to the starting line at the World Championship in Kailua-Kona, “The Ironman why” is different.

For 64-year-old Amy Dodson, who lost her left leg to sarcoma at 19 and her left lung to cancer two years later, it is about “fulfilling the obligation of the cured” to live life.

“I am so fortunate to be here because not everybody makes it and I did, and I’m doing something I love.”

Dodson, who in 2001 became the first female leg amputee to complete the Boston Marathon, is one of five triathletes selected to be Athlete Ambassadors for this year’s race.

She was joined by fellow ambassadors Renee Noronha, Scott Christmas, Izzy Claxton and Matt Davis for a panel discussion on a stage at the Ironman Village, which was set up at Hale Hālāwai in Historic Kailua Village.

They shared their inspiring stories of grit and perseverance, and their journeys to get to Kona, where they will tackle the 140.6-mile swim, bike and run course on Saturday.

While there are several professional athletes who fight to capture a spot on the podium, athletes like Dodson are there not for the prize, but for something bigger than themselves.

“I really want to inspire para-athletes, amputees in particular,” Dodson said.

She understands being an amputee and doing an Ironman is a real challenge, but she is living proof it is possible. Ironman, she said, “is here for all of us.”

Scott Christmas, 57, United States

In 1996, Christmas was involved in a plane crash that claimed the life of his best friend, Capt. Owen Duke of the United States Marine Corps. He survived, but was in a coma for two weeks, fighting for his own life.

“I had second-degree chemical burns over 80% of my body,” Christmas said. “I was bleeding out through a rupture in the spleen and my belly. I had a completely severed aorta on my heart.”

Christmas was given less than a 3% chance of surviving.

But he pulled through and attributes his survival to “the big man upstairs” and triathlons. He was in exceptionally good shape, having just finished a circuit of half-Ironmans when the crash happened.

Christmas said he made three promises at that moment. The first was to return to racing. The second was to run the Marine Corps Marathon and lay the finisher medal on Duke’s grave at Arlington Cemetery, which he did in 2002.

Christmas’ third promise he will keep Saturday as he takes to the course for the Ironman World Championship, where he will take the finisher’s medal and also lay it on Duke’s grave.

Christmas said his “why” for doing Ironman is about sharing Duke’s story, as well as his wife, a marathon runner who passed away in 2017.

“You want to keep their memory alive, and for me to be able to do that, to finish my third promise on the grand stage, that means so much to me,” Christmas said.

Renee Noronha, 20, London, United Kingdom

Noronha was 18 years old when she completed her first full Ironman. She has a goal to be the youngest triathlete to finish six Ironman races on six continents. She has four down, and two to go.

“When I crossed that finish line, I felt like I could do anything in the world, and this is what I really wanted to do,” Noronha said Wednesday.

Noronha qualified for Kona after finishing the Ironman Philippines in June. She said her goal for this race is just to finish strong.

“It’s going to be the best day ever,” the 20-year-old said.

Originally from Mumbai, India, Noronha said she didn’t always have the safe infrastructure to train for triathlon. When she started, the sport was developing and relatively small in India, “so getting to be here is a privilege,” the 20-year-old said.

Noronha said she hopes to inspire young girls to get into the sport.

Matt Davis, 43, Utah

Davis captured the spirit of Ironman when he and Jorge de Amorim and Sam Jobi crossed the finish line in Kona hand-in-hand in 2016.

The trio met at their triathlon training group in Utah and became fast friends. Davis recounted how they pushed and motivated each other.

“It’s amazing that we were able to accomplish that goal together and we arrived here and it was just by happenstance, on the course that we came together and were able to finish the race hand in hand crossing that finish line,” Davis said Wednesday. “It was the most epic finish to a goal that I’ve ever experienced and it really just solidified those friendships for life.”

Sadly, Jobi passed away in 2025 from a heart attack while out on a run. Davis said de Amorim reached out about doing Ironman in Kona, saying, “We’ve got to do this for Sam.”

Davis had qualified for the World Championship race in 2020, but hit a setback when he was hit by a car while cycling.

“My injuries were pretty extensive, and I had multiple specialists telling me that I would never race again,” he said.

And while trying to qualify this year was challenging, Davis did it at Ironman Lake Placid.

Davis will be competing Saturday alongside de Amorim, in memory of their friend.

“I hope to have the spirit of Sam with me out there,” he said.

“It’s not lost on me that I’m here as a result of many sacrifices made by my children, friends,” Davis added. “So I’m doing it for them.”

Davis hopes he has been a good example to his family of being resilient and setting a goal.

Izzy Claxton, 30, Western Australia

An intensive care doctor, Claxton qualified for the Ironman World Championship on her third attempt only weeks before her baby arrived prematurely at 34 weeks. On Wednesday, Claxton said in her son’s first week of life he was hooked up to tubes and was subjected to heel pricks to do blood tests.

It’s been 9 months and Oscar is healthy and happy.

Claxton said her son has already joined her for some gym workouts and stroller runs.

“I want to be that model for him so that when he’s older, whatever he chooses to do, he knows that if he applies himself, things are possible,” she said.

As for Claxton’s why, she said she wants her son to grow up seeing his mom doing hard things, picking a goal and working toward it.

“Anything worth doing doesn’t come easy, and you do need to apply yourself to those things,” Claxton said. “To borrow from Ironman: ‘Anything is possible.'”