Blind Army Veteran Finishes Ironman Triathlon: 'It Was a Feeling of Completeness'
Record-breaking heat caused 188 competitors to quit an Ironman triathlon this past Sunday in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, but blind veteran Scotty Smiley was not one of them.
The retired major and his brother-in-law, Andy Cooper, crossed the finish line at 10:20 p.m. after a grueling 16-hour effort.
"There were so many times I just wanted to quit and give up," Smiley tells PEOPLE. "I just couldn’t see the end in sight."
Although Smiley couldn't see the road ahead, he could hear what was driving him – his family – every step of the way. His wife Tiffany even rode her bike alongside them for half the marathon.
"It was amazing to hear them as I transitioned from the bike to the run – throughout the run just screaming my name," says the 35-year-old veteran, who lives in Spokane, Washington, with his wife and three sons. "And then to be there to give my wife and my boys a hug, it was a great feeling."
More: Scotty Smiley: Blind Army Veteran Completes Ironman : People.com
Record-breaking heat caused 188 competitors to quit an Ironman triathlon this past Sunday in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, but blind veteran Scotty Smiley was not one of them.
The retired major and his brother-in-law, Andy Cooper, crossed the finish line at 10:20 p.m. after a grueling 16-hour effort.
"There were so many times I just wanted to quit and give up," Smiley tells PEOPLE. "I just couldn’t see the end in sight."
Although Smiley couldn't see the road ahead, he could hear what was driving him – his family – every step of the way. His wife Tiffany even rode her bike alongside them for half the marathon.
"It was amazing to hear them as I transitioned from the bike to the run – throughout the run just screaming my name," says the 35-year-old veteran, who lives in Spokane, Washington, with his wife and three sons. "And then to be there to give my wife and my boys a hug, it was a great feeling."
More: Scotty Smiley: Blind Army Veteran Completes Ironman : People.com