KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii — Former Steelers star Hines Ward added a new title to his resume Saturday. Not content with being a football and dancing star, Ward now is an Ironman.
The two-time Super Bowl winner finished one of the world's most challenging triathlon courses in 13:08:15.
Ward was the 1,680th athlete to cross the finish line after a 2.4-mile ocean swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a full 26.2-mile marathon. He swam a 1:20:01, biked a 6:21:12 and finished off with a 5:12:56 run.
The former NFL star and "Dancing With the Stars" winner trained for nearly a year with triathlon legend Paula Newby-Fraser.
"When I first started it was raining one day and I even asked Paula if I should be running in the rain. I never thought I could run further than a mile," Ward said. "This has been a life-changing experience for me."
Becoming an Ironman wasn't easy, even for a pro athlete like Hines. Before accomplishing his goal, Channel 11 News talked with him about his preparation and progression. Click on this link to better understand his arduous, regimented journey.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.