Jason Gunter lost his right hand and left leg in a boating accident, and his first attempt to finish Kona fell short in 2009. But in 2015 he had a 2nd chance.
In 1992 Jason Gunter worked as a firefighter in Florida, and one day after work he got in his 22-foot boat to meet some friends. As he moved his boat out into the Gulf of Mexico, the boat steering cable broke and he was pitched into the water. The boat started to circle around him and Gunter managed to avoid the boat during the first pass by diving, but the next time around the boat propeller hit him and cut off his right arm and left lower leg. He then had to tread water and was recued by a friend at the last minute.
After a lengthy hospital stay, Gunter spent another year with the fire department but then went to law school and now has his own firm in Fort Myers, Florida. In 2009 Gunter got a challenged athlete lottery spot to race in Kona, but his quest to finish came to an end at mile 22 of the run when his body said “no more.”
At the 2015 GoPro Ironman World Championships, Gunter finally did cross the finish line in Kona in a little over 16 hours, and here now is a chat with the man.
Slowtwitch: Thank you Jason for sharing your story.
Jason Gunter: I actually really appreciate you talking to me.
ST: Well, you did it. You finished Kona.
Jason: Yeah, it was black or white for me. People say “how do you feel?” and, to be honest, to some degree it was relief. It has been 6 years since what had happened in 2009, and now it was black or white. I either finish or I don’t. But yes, I finished and thus mission accomplished.
ST: Kona is unpredictable as we know, so what if this had not worked out again? Would you have attempted to return a 3rd time?
Jason: This was it. My first attempt happened in 2009 when I was 44 and now I am 50. I am still in good health and I don’t want to say never, as that does not really fit my personality, but this was in my mind pretty much the shot. There are not a lot of opportunities for challenged athletes to get into Kona, and there is no qualifying process really. You have to get in through the challenged athletes lottery, and so this was pretty much it for me.
ST: You mentioned the 2009 race where you ended up stopping at mile 22 of the run. Is it fair to say that you were much more prepared this time around?
Jason: Absolutely. In 2009 I had 6 to 8 months of preparedness, and not just my fitness but all my prosthetics and equipment. I was not able to get aero and I was like a giant sail. I rode a road bike and my prosthetics were different. Since then I have been racing and training and learning more about myself and my body. Plus I simplified things so that I would be prepared. I also did 3 Ironman events since that race in 2009, Cozumel twice plus Ironman Texas. But I have to be honest, when I arrived in Kona I felt like I had underestimated Kona.
ST: Do you think others do to some degree as well?
Jason: I do. I think when you look at Kona from a computer screen and when you look at the course in general it is kind of non-descript. It is this great swim and then you ride this long highway on a very nice road, and yeah there is one big climb out in Hawi, and then you come back, and then there is this great run. But even living in Florida and knowing that it is going to be hot, you still underestimate it. When I got off the plane at the outdoor Kona airport there immediately were these strong winds and this intense heat and humidity.
ST: Also, an incident at the start of the race?
Jason: When I go into the water, a couple people help me get down the stairs. In Kona when I got down I started to hop and I hit an underwater pothole and my right ankle rolled and sort of popped. I know my body pretty well and immediately knew I had an ankle injury, but not the extent of it. As I was waiting for the swim start I looked down to see if I could see any swelling as we were treading water. It was on my mind the whole swim and on the bike, and when I came in after the bike it was swollen and I had them tape it up. After all it is my only good ankle. It was another mental thing I had to get over.
ST: Did you learn after the race about the injury to the ankle?
Jason: Yes, a grade 2 tear of ligament - no surgery.
ST: Can you talk about the gear changes and refinements since 2009?
Jason: Well, the biggest thing for me was to get more aero and comfortable on the bike. So in the couple years after [2009] Kona I went from a road bike to a triathlon bike. My goal was to simply ride a bike like everyone else, even though I am missing my hand and my leg. I have a cycling hand that was developed for me and now I have the option to ride at the outside of the handlebar or pop out of that and get in the aero position, just like anyone else. And that was a game changer. I am able to eat and drink and keep my food in my rear pocket and I just stay in the aero position with my “bad hand.” I then reach back with my other hand and grab what I need. It was simplifying things and learning the technical skills, and I had some help with that. I had people who helped me with my prosthetics and my cycling gear.
ST: But you also rode a lot more.
Jason: Absolutely. Since 2009 when I came back I continuously did my training. I biked more, I swam more and did those 3 Ironman events. Plus I did several halfs and other local Olympic distance races. I just wanted to keep myself ready in case I was ever given the opportunity, but yes, definitely more time in the saddle.
ST: For those not familiar with such a situation, how difficult is it to hold on to the bike with the prosthetic hand?
Jason: Basically this is what is going on with me. I am missing my right hand a little bit above the wrist and I am missing my left leg below the knee as a result of the boating accident that happened in the Gulf of Mexico back in 1992. So when I ride the bike it is about strength and balance, and I do not have a hand but a cycling prosthetic. It is actually very similar to an able bodied person when aero. When you are riding and have to do something with your other hand you have to be careful. In Ironman races it gets even tougher because you have to decide if you are going to stop at aid stations, as I am missing my right hand. For bottle hand-offs I have to reach all the way across my base bar to grab a bottle.
ST: Did you stop at aid stations or grab the bottles on the go?
Jason: I rode probably 90% of them, but then on the way back because it was so hot I stopped a few times to cool down. But at the rest of them I would grab a water bottle at the beginning, douse myself and toss it, grab a Gatorade and put it in my rear cage and then grab another water bottle and stick it in my rear jersey pocket.
ST: Your cycling prosthetic looks very high tech. Can you talk about that one?
Jason: The history on that one is very cool actually. There is a guy in Southwest Florida who saw me riding one day and he is a carbon fiber guy who builds carbon fiber skates for inline skaters. He [Dave Simmons of Simmons Racing] also builds custom cycling shoes. He had this idea where he could build me this aerodynamic blade that would be super light and from the front it would look like nothing, and from the side it almost looks like a boot. He pretty much designed this for me in his garage. It is lightweight and super comfortable and I would call it a game changer too.
ST: This year you biked 7:17. How did that compare to your 2009 effort?
Jason: [laughs] I would like to say it was a lot better, but in 2009 I would like to say it was 7:45 or even longer, but I don’t have it in front of me. It was longer for sure but I was surprised about my bike time [this year]. To be honest with you I thought I was going to do maybe 6:15 or 6:30, but I wanted to be conservative. It was important to me to have my nutrition down and not overeat, and cool myself down. So I knew that I was biking conservatively, but as the clock started hitting 7 hours I was a little surprised. So it was not that far off to be honest with you, but the difference being that in 2009 when I got off the bike I was toast. When I got off the bike this time I felt pretty good.
ST: What about the swim? I think you were faster in 2009.
Jason: Another thing that surprised me. I know that I had improved in my swim, but I swam a 1:20 in 2009 and right around 1:30 this year. I am not sure if it was about sighting or if I got off course a little bit, but it also takes me a bit when I exit the water to get on that timing mat. I am down there being crushed by the waves before I can get up the stairs, but yeah it was a bit slower.
ST: At what point during the run did you feel confident that you had it?
Jason: In other races I had been confident during the entire marathon, but to be completely blunt with you I did not know I had this in the bag until I came down Palani and hit that left turn at the hot corner to get on Kuakini Highway. Especially during the second half of the race I was unable to keep my fluids down and vomited a few times, so nothing was for sure. Plus other things could have gone wrong with my prosthetics.
ST: Talk about the reception on Ali’i Drive as you came towards the finish.
Jason: It was incredible. I had friends and family there, but there were also people I had met in 2009 who knew my story. But yes, it was amazing, everything I had expected and more. They go crazy and of course it was getting close to midnight. From the minute you turn and before you even hit that chute, it was great. It was an incredible relief and happiness for me just to accomplish it. I know I am not a 10-hour Ironman finisher, but I knew if I did not complete this there would always be a void.
ST: Were you able to celebrate and enjoy that finish area until midnight or were you whooped?
Jason: I was whooped and had to go to the med tent and get an IV. At other races I did exactly what you described. But [in Kona] I had vomited and really needed to get that IV. I had friends around me so I was able to enjoy it a little.
ST: So now that the box is checked, what is next?
Jason: I love training and that is my favorite part of it, so I am just taking 3 weeks off and then I will sort of get back to that aspect that I am enjoying. But it will be on my own terms.
ST: Well enjoy the time off and congrats again.
Jason: I really appreciate it and thank you.
