My name is Kathrin Peters Ferrell, and this is my journey to becoming an Ironman in honor of my dad who passed away in 2024; young, suddenly, and unexpectedly.

My dad Jörn was an athlete, through and through. He crossed the Alps with his mountain bike every year, played tennis, ran marathons, raced his road bike - and he did Olympic distance triathlons. 

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I always admired my dad for his strength, endurance, and fitness. He motivated me to run my first marathon when I was 20. When I finished my first Half Ironman in July 2023, a longer triathlon than he ever did, he texted me: "Sending you all my best and much respect, from the small triathlete to the big one."

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​Wanting to make him proud has always been motivational for me. I miss him terribly. I never had a chance to say goodbye to him. But triathlon training has become a way for me to feel his presence: Feel his muscles in mine, his excitement in mine, his dedication, and his determination. I feel him with me when I swim, bike, and run.​

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Before he passed, I felt like a full Ironman was out of reach for me. But now, that changed. In 2025, I want to accomplish the previously unimaginable. I want to make him proud one more time. In whatever form he is still with me, I want to invite him to experience the finish line feel through me. And I want to use the long hours of training to process my grief and remember him, feel his presence and influence, by doing what I know he loved.​

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If everything goes well and I cross the finish line on June 1, 2025, in my hometown Hamburg, Germany, racing on the trails he used to walk and the roads he used to bike on, and hear the famous words, "You are an Ironman" only a stone's throw from his office, it will be an Ironman for Papa.