Ironman Warriors Elevate ALS Awareness at Triathlons
By Stephanie Dufner, ALSA Communications Coordinator


Todd Taranto reaches the finish line at the Ironman-Wisconsin 2005 triathlon.
Not many people could participate in a grueling day-long sports event where participants must complete a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike race then finish a
26-plus-mile run in the sweltering heat. But that’s just what “Ironmen” Todd Taranto and Jonathan Blais did this fall. Taranto, a resident of Wheaton, Ill., completed the Ironman-Wisconsin 2005 triathlon in around 15 hours and raised more than $18,000 for ALSA’s Iowa Chapter on September 11 in Madison, while Blais swam in the Pacific Ocean then biked and trekked through the jagged lava fields of Kona, Hawaii, last month.

When asked about his motivation for completing the triathlon, Taranto said, “I did it for Ken.” The person who Taranto refers to is his close friend and fellow West Point classmate, Ken Nadermann. Nadermann lives in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and has been battling ALS since 1993, when he returned to the states after serving in the Gulf War.

Amazingly, Taranto did not have to do any fundraising; through the Janus Charity Challenge, he posted his participation in the triathlon on the organization’s website. Contributions arrived from a plethora of places around the globe including Seattle, Midland, Texas, Japan and Germany.

“Janus provides a vehicle to help you solicit funds,” explained Taranto. “I took advantage of that. Over a period of six to seven months, I let the word out to friends and family and sent out periodic updates to people. I never asked for donations but let the people who know Ken to pass on the link, so others would read it.”

The ALSA Iowa Chapter’s Executive Director, Jason Lee, called Taranto’s donation “a surprise.” “We’re really grateful he chose to work with us and participate in a vision to serve ALS families across the state,” Lee said. Lee stated the funds collected will allow his chapter to provide services and start a Walk and a support group for Eastern Iowa, the area where Nadermann resides.

Blais – who also goes by the nickname “Blazeman” – finished the Hawaiian Ironman Triathlon Championships in October with an ending time of 16 hours: 28 minutes: 56 seconds. What separated Blais from other contestants in the triathlon: He is an ALS patient.




Jonathan Blais (a.k.a. The Blazeman)
Blais, a retired teacher certified to work with elementary and special education students, lives in Seekonk, Mass. He said the competition “will serve as a great vehicle to raise awareness for ALS, in terms of living your life.” Blais appeared on a segment of NBC Sports Saturday on November 12 as the network shadowed him during the event. Blais called the Ironman “a lifelong goal.”
Blais also has gone by the pseudonym “Blazeman” for the past few years. He obtained the moniker while residing in San Diego, where he taught children with emotional and developmental challenges at the Aseltine School. He also calls himself “ALS Warrior Poet.” This epithet references Blais’ high school, the Seekonk Warriors and explains his love of poetry, literature and outdoor sports. This enthusiastic sportsman hoped his former pupils watched him compete as he used to show them tapes of other Ironman competitions at Aseltine. Undoubtedly, the Blazeman is an inspiration to both his former students and his fellow athletes.