Fort Myers double amputee completes Ironman World Championship

FORT MYERS, Fla.- “The announcer, Mike Riley, when I got the finish line, he said, ‘Jason, welcome to the finish line.’ What he meant was ‘welcome to the finish line, we’ve been waiting.'”

For Jason Gunter, that moment was everything; the moment he crossed the finish line at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii on Oct. 10.

This year’s race was redemption. In 2009, he collapsed just 4 miles short of the finish line.

“In 2009, I just bonked. I withdrew from the race at mile 22 of the marathon. I completed the swim, the bike and I was at mile 22. I just wasn’t prepared.,” Gunter said.

But the emotional and physical setback wouldn’t be the first for Gunter. He’s a double amputee who lost his left leg and right arm in boating accident back in 1992.

“There was a steering malfunction. I was thrown out of the right side of the boat and the boat circled and ran me over.”

But he’s never let that stop him, not even this race, when his prosthetic broke at mile 5.

“I was in deep trouble. But I continued to run and I ran 4 or 5 miles before they found me. I just switched out legs,” Gunter said.

Despite the challenge, Gunter was able to swim 2 miles, bike 112 and run 26, finishing the grueling race in 16 hours.

“I just wanted to make sure I finished. As long as I reached that magical finish line, that’s all I care about.”