‘You just have to find the finish line’: UK HealthCare helps patient to Kona Ironman

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Oct. 25, 2024) – Through blood, sweat and tears, 53-year-old Chris Schmidt found the finish line – though he’ll tell you it didn’t always look pretty getting there.

This week, Schmidt traveled more than 4,000 miles from Columbia, Kentucky, to Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, to compete in the Ironman World Championship on Oct. 26.

Schmidt grew up in New York City and, like many children, was participating in a variety of different activities and sports. Karate, basketball, volleyball, he was part of it all.

In 1995, he landed a job at Lindsey Wilson College as the assistant basketball coach, and he now serves as the school’s dean of students, calling Kentucky home for more than 30 years.

“Working at the college, I played intramural sports. If there was a sport to play, I was doing it,” said Schmidt. “I loved being with the students and getting involved, so I was always signing up for something.

Eventually, the college asked Schmidt if he would coach the cycling team. Although he knew nothing about cycling, he was up for the challenge to learn something new.

“I ended up falling in love with cycling,” said Schmidt. “I loved it so much that I actually walked away from basketball, something I’d done my whole life, and I became fully committed to this new journey.”

His commitment to cycling, combined with his competitive nature, led Schmidt to begin training for Ironman triathlons. These races are not for the weak – a full Ironman consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run. All three legs combined into one race for a total of 140.6 miles covered during the competition.

“Like most athletes, we like to challenge ourselves,” said Schmidt. “I decided to start training for an Ironman. I had never done a triathlon before, but I decided to just dive right into a full Ironman.”

In 2012, after four months of training, Schmidt completed his very first Ironman in Louisville. The race ignited his passion for triathlons, and he knew there would be more to come.

However, the active lifestyle and intense training began to take a toll on his body. He started to experience a lot of pain in his left hip. After X-rays and meeting with his care team, they found the cartilage in his hip was deteriorating. He began different types of rehab exercises to help with the pain, but with each passing year and with every Ironman he completed, the pain was getting worse.

“The pain got to the point where I’d start to lean against stuff when I was cooking and cutting up food. I couldn’t even stand to cook eggs, I had to sit on a stool,” said Schmidt. “Just to stand for any amount of time, I would lean up against something or sit on a corner of a table just to take that pressure off. At the same time, my left hip was starting to click when I was cycling.”

While the pain was getting worse, his dream of competing in the Ironman World Championship was moving into reach.

Although he admits he wasn’t the fastest competitor in his age group, he did become eligible for the Legacy program. Schmidt completed 12 full Ironman races, completing at least one full race every calendar year.

“So, I became eligible to compete in the Kona World Championship,” said Schmidt. “But ironically, with the last 11th and 12th races, I was in a lot of discomfort. I was really struggling. My gait was changing a lot on my runs and biking. What I loved became more of a labor.”

He knew something had to change if he wanted to make it to Kona and compete in the 2024 World Championship.

“I knew I probably should have had surgery, and I should have had it addressed sooner,” said Schmidt. “I was ignoring what I knew was coming.”

In August 2023, Schmidt made his way to UK HealthCare to get the treatment he had been pushing off. He was connected to Stephen Duncan, M.D., UK HealthCare orthopaedic surgeon.

“Generally, if the pain is in the groin for more than six weeks, I recommend seeing a physician to get an exam and radiographs,” said Duncan. “If the radiographs don’t tell us the answer, then proceeding with an MRI to further characterize the integrity of the cartilage is important. We can then determine if we can do cartilage preservation or discuss replacement options.” 

Duncan specializes in hip preservation and hip replacement. As he studied Schmidt’s case, he knew that a hip replacement would be necessary for him to continue performing at a high level with as little pain as possible.

“To be an elite endurance athlete, you have to be able to train many long miles in the pool and get the needed miles in biking and running,” said Duncan. “Chris was unable to train due to the pain and unable to recover between training sessions. This meant he could be near the end of his triathlon career if he didn’t get the proper treatment.” 

Luckily, when Schmidt met Duncan, they connected instantly.  

“Dr. Duncan got me, he understood that I’m a person that still likes to be active,” said Schmidt. “He understood how excited I was about what I do, and we had that connection.”

Duncan understood Schmidt’s goals and was dedicated to getting him back to competing

“Based on my experience caring for other elite triathletes, I have seen them go back to not only competing, but competing to be on the podium,” said Duncan. “As a previous endurance athlete and avid exercise enthusiast, I know the thrill of being able to train and compete. I knew healing Chris’s hip would also help to maintain his mental health.” 

Together they decided the surgery was necessary, but under one condition: Schmidt wanted to maintain his bid to the Kona World Championship.

He still needed to complete a full Ironman that year. With the timeline he was on, this meant he would only have seven months to recover from his surgery before competing in another 140.6-mile triathlon.

“I asked Dr. Duncan if it could be done,” said Schmidt. “He shared multiple patient stories with me about different athletes and Ironman competitors who were able to overcome their injuries. That encouraged and gave me confidence to have the surgery.”

On Aug. 30, 2023, Schmidt underwent a hip replacement with a muscle-sparing direct anterior approach. The design of the replacement would preserve Schmidt’s glute muscle instead of splitting it, which is a traditional approach to the surgery. Duncan knows the glute muscle is important during running and cycling, so he carefully designed a procedure that best fit Schmidt and his activity levels.

“The triathlon community is a tight-knit group, and the inability to compete would have taken Chris away from his social network,” said Duncan. “It means a lot to me to get folks back to these activities and enjoying life. Through the efforts of my nurse and surgery scheduler, we worked together with Chris to choose the best date for surgery to allow him to heal and then resume training so that he would be ready to compete in the Ironman championship.” 

After his surgery, Schmidt was grateful for the encouragement and dedication Duncan gave him. Now he only had seven months to recover and train for the Texas Ironman, the race he had to complete to receive his bid to the World Championship

Duncan set out an exact schedule for when Schmidt could resume certain training activities to not jeopardize his hip implants. Six months after the surgery, he was cleared to push his body to the limits, and Duncan no longer had any restrictions.

In April, Schmidt made it to Texas to compete, but not without further struggle along the way. While Schmidt was rehabbing his hip and training for the next Ironman, his mother became sick, and he was her caregiver. In February, she died.

“So, I go to Texas in April still with a pretty heavy heart,” said Schmidt. “When I arrived at registration, I was beginning to have a sense of closure on what I had been going through.” 

He crossed the finish line in Texas. He didn’t need to set any records, he just needed to finish the race. He got his bid to the World Championship.

“I couldn’t get to the 2024 Kona without the Texas race,” said Schmidt. “I know how to find the finish line. That's always the goal I’ve had: You just have to find a finish line.”

Now, once again on Oct. 26, all Schmidt must do is find the finish line at the 2024 Kona World Championship, where his friends and family will be waiting for him.

“I crossed all the other finish lines, but this one is more important, it’s for all the people who supported me to get here,” said Schmidt.

Schmidt has completed 14 full Ironman races since 2012; Kona will be his 15th race. After the World Championship, Schmidt plans to enjoy a true vacation in Hawaii relaxing with his loved ones.

“This race embodies what I believe in: Don’t quit on things,” said Schmidt. “To get across that finish line in Kona will be really symbolic, and I hope I can continue to be an example for other people.”

Learn more about the Kona World Championship and watch live as Schmidt competes here.