Man Is First Double Amputee to Finish Ironman Triathlon

About this sponsorship: In honor of the 60th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary’s historic ascent of Mount Everest, Patch and Grape-Nuts are teaming up to highlight those who inspire people around them to climb their own mountains.

Sandy Springs, GA, resident Scott Rigsby has, without a doubt, “run with perseverance the race marked out” for him, as the Bible says. In 2007 Rigsby became the first double amputee to finish the Ironman World Championship triathlon in Kailua-Kona, HI. The famous triathlon consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26.2-mile marathon run. 

After his story was viewed by millions of people around the world, he became a motivational speaker and created The Scott Rigsby Foundation, a nonprofit 501-(c)3 organization "dedicated to inspire, inform and enable individuals with loss of limb or mobility to live a healthy, active lifestyle."

Q: What’s the biggest challenge you’ve taken on?

The biggest challenge that I’ve tackled so far was trying to complete the Ford Ironman World Championship triathlon in Hawaii in 2007. When I decided to compete in triathlons, I did not even know how to swim. I didn’t own a bike, nor had I ever even tried to ride one with prosthetic legs. At that time I also had never run even the 0.2 of the 26.2 miles on prosthetic legs. 

Q: What inspired you to take on this challenge?

Growing up, I was a really active youth. Sports were my life. Then when I was 18, I lost both my legs in a traffic accident the summer after I graduated from high school—just a few weeks before I was supposed to leave for and start college. For the next 21 years, I struggled to come to terms with the reality that the life I had prior to the accident was no more. At the age of 39, I was at the lowest point of my life. I was working at a dead-end job, I didn’t have any money, and I just didn’t want to live anymore. So I said a simple prayer, and I said, “Hey God, if you open up a door, I’ll run through it.”

Two weeks later, I was in a bookstore looking at magazines. One magazine in particular caught my attention because it had an article about the Hawaiian Ironman triathlon. I opened the magazine next to it, and by chance, there was an article about a wounded soldier with a prosthetic leg who was competing in triathlons. It was as if God said, “This is what you were created to do!” Twenty-two months later, I ran across the finish line as the first double amputee in the world to complete the Ford Ironman World Championship triathlon on prosthetic legs, with a time of 16 hours, 42 minutes and 46 seconds—just 17 minutes before the time limit cutoff.

Q: What did your success lead to?

It was a means to a much larger end. It gave me a platform to be able to become a motivational speaker, talking to corporations, students and military groups. I also thought that just by my physical presence, I can connect with wounded soldiers and their families and also motivate people with physical challenges. So in 2008, I started The Scott Rigsby Foundation. Together with our partners, we offer SRF Warrior Family Retreats to 15 to 20 wounded soldiers and their families from around the different bases in Georgia and the Southeast. We also offer counseling for soldiers and their families.

In 2011 Scott Rigsby crossed the finish line at the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, HI for a second time. He completed the race in 16 hours and 22 minutes. For Rigsby, the second time was just as rewarding as the first time in 2007, especially since he dedicated this race toward raising $50,000 for his foundation and wounded soldiers and their families.

You can read more about Rigsby’s inspirational story in his book, Unthinkable, available through Amazon.com.

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