A terminal cancer patient recently fulfilled his dream of completing the VinFast Ironman World Championship. Jonathan Pascual, who is suffering from Stage 4 cancer, performed extremely well in Hawaii on Saturday and finished the championship course in Kona in the most difficult conditions, reported ABC News. The event included a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a marathon 26.2-mile run completed in that order, which is considered one of the most difficult one-day sporting events in the world. Jonathan Pascual is a 50-year-old lung transplant nurse practitioner from Vallejo, California, who qualified for the World Championship last weekend after completing over 15 Ironman triathlons in his lifetime. In 2022, he was diagnosed with Stage 4 mediastinal paraganglioma, a rare type of cancer that had spread to his lungs and bones, giving him a five-year survival prognosis. The athlete was previously diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2007, but it was successfully removed through surgery.
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Jonathan Pascual revealed that his symptoms, including shortness of breath and chronic discomfort, made it "definitely harder to train" for the World Championship. "If I run too fast or too hard, my heart rate will go sky high and I will get dizzy and even faint," the athlete told Good Morning America. Jonathan added that he found the 2.4-mile swim to be the most challenging aspect of the event. He explained that the tumor hampered blood flow from being in a prone position, resulting in severe breathing issues.
Jonathan Pascual stated that his participation in the Ironman championship is not just a personal accomplishment, but also an homage to other cancer patients. He shared that crossing the finish line was a moment he had long envisioned. "I have played [it] in my mind [like] a movie for so long," the athlete said. Drawing on his experience, Jonathan Pascual offered advice to people facing similar challenges, telling them to "never be afraid to ask for help" and adding that he is where he is today because of the support he received. He also said he loves to remind everyone of the importance of having a positive influence on others.
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