From a noble beginning comes change

When Jeffery Hultman graduated from Nevada Union High School in 2000, he wasn't too concerned about organized sports. Sure, he liked to play some backyard football or baseball with friends, but he's the first to admit he was a little chubby back in the day and was never too inclined to try out for a team.

Five years later, Jeff is now living in Okinawa, Japan, doing missionary work and has recently begun training to compete in an Ironman race in April.

Jeff can attest to the fact that there's a funny secret about exercise - it sometimes has a way of sneaking up on you and changing your life.

It all starts innocently with a few trips to the gym or a lap around the block and before you know you've convinced yourself to compete in a triathlon, a marathon or the big daddy of them all: An Ironman.

After graduating from high school, Jeff took a job working construction. He found that the nature of his job helped him to get into better shape. Soon, he started to hit the gym with friends to do a little bit of running here and there - nothing too serious though.

Three years into his construction career, Jeff fell off a roof, breaking his wrist and knocking a nerve loose in his elbow. Until his arm was healed, he was not going to be able to continue in the construction field.

It was then that Jeff's thoughts turned more seriously to a spiritual career.

He began to spend hours at his church - the Whiting Street Church of Christ - and decided that his future was with God. In the fall of 2004, he left Grass Valley to attend a Bible college in Lubbock, Texas, that focused on missionary training.

After completing his required course work, Jeff left the United States this past May for Okinawa.

The first few weeks were somewhat difficult for him, in terms of his body adjusting to the new time zone. Jeff found himself waking quite early in the morning, unable to continue sleeping. Instead of restlessly reclining in bed, he began going for morning runs.

Eventually he mentioned his new habit to his missionary coordinator Tracy Bezner, an avid runner himself who enjoyed competing in marathons.

"Once I told him about my running we started to run together," Jeff said. "We would joke about doing different things (like triathlons or the Ironman) as we ran. But somehow it turned from joking into serious conversations.

"I just thought - what am I getting myself into?"

In preparation for the April event, the two are competing in the Izena 88 Triathlon on the Japanese island of Izena on Oct. 9 - along with a few marathons and the Tour de Okinawa cycling race. Known as one of the most prestigious and grueling athletic events a person could undertake, an Ironman race consists of swimming 2.4 miles, biking 112 miles and finishing off with a full marathon of 26.2 miles.

After talking with Jeff about his ultimate Ironman goal, I have to admit I feel a lot more confident about my goal of competing Sept. 25 in the Barbara Schmidt Millar Celebration of Life Triathlon, which consists of a half-mile swim, 11-mile bike ride and a 3-mile run.

But perhaps what stood out to me most from my conversation with Jeff was that, aside from being in Japan as a missionary, many people find themselves in similar situations. Many people go from little to no athletic commitments to regular workouts to believing in themselves enough to commit to a triathlon or marathon.

I think Jeff is a good reminder to us all that you don't have to have been the starting quarterback on your high school team or have played sports your entire life to embrace exercising or pick it up again after years of no exercise.

Even if exercising has never been a part of a person's life before, how amazing is it to watch as that person not only begins to work out, but eventually sets such goals as competing in a triathlon or even an Ironman.

The past few months I have spoken or heard from many other women who are doing the triathlon for the first time. The overwhelming majority of those who will push their bodies to the max next month are not professional triathletes or even women who have played sports all their lives.

Rather, they are mothers and grandmothers, teachers, nurses and business women who are interested in adding to the quality of their lives by getting their bodies in shape, setting and achieving a goal.

If the Barbara Schmidt Millar Triathlon had a sign out front it would read:

"No previous experience needed. Apply within if you want to get yourself in amazing shape and do things you never dreamt possible - all for an amazing cause."



- Wednesday, First-Timers Clinic at 7 p.m. at Club Sierra, 130 West Berryhill Drive. Will last approximately one and half hours.

- Thursday, on-site training clinics begin and will take place at 9 a.m. every Tuesday and Thursday morning until the event weekend. For more information call Viki (265-2414) or Bobbie (273-4740).

- Sept. 25, new triathlon date.

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To contact sportswriter Stacy Hicklin, e-mail stacyh@theunion.com or call 477-4244.