Whittingham completes Ironman Kona

What were you doing at 7:20 a.m. Saturday morning? Sleeping in? Easing into the weekend with a cup of coffee while planning your day? Relaxing and waiting for the sun to rise in Northeast Ohio?

That’s likely how many of us started the day.

But not Sara Whittingham, M.D., a clinical faculty member at Northeast Ohio Medical University and a physician at Cleveland Clinic Marymount Hospital.

At 7:20 a.m. (HST), Dr. Whittingham started the grueling 140.6-mile Ironman race in Kona, Hawaii. Fifteen hours and 40 minutes later, following a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon, she finished the race just after 11 p.m. (HST)

While her time of 15:40:53 did not put her at the head of the pack, finishing the race was a victory in itself.

Dr. Whittingham, who was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease three years ago, was invited to compete in Kona by the Ironman organization. She raced to raise awareness of Parkinson’s disease and $1 million to support research at NEOMED to stop the progression of the disease and improve outcomes for those living with Parkinson’s disease.

Congratulations, Dr. Whittingham!

Learn more about Dr. Whittingham and Parkinson’s disease research at NEOMED at neomed.edu/parkinsons.

Related content 

• Watch Dr. Whittingham’s interview on TODAY with Hoda and Jenna
• Watch Sara’s Story – The Most Meaningful Race on NEOMED’s YouTube channel