Luke Logan, a Midway University sport marketing major, has qualified for the Ironman World Championship, which will be held in St. George, Utah on May 7, 2022.
Logan, a junior and member of the Midway cross-country, swimming, and track teams, qualified for the Championship in Lake Placid last July.
Logan thanks Coach Wells and Coach Steakley for his winning attitude. “They’re more interested in us succeeding in our sport and after graduation than they are with their own win record,” Logan said. This leadership and flexibility has inspired Logan to succeed on-and-off the field.
Logan began racing with his dad at the age of 5 and grew up “playing every sport imaginable.” He gravitated toward triathlons, though, because he said he was only proficient in the individual sports—running, cycling, and swimming—but he was great at the three combined.
An Ironman Triathlon, which Logan described as “One of the hardest competitions one can sign up for,” consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and a full marathon (26.22 miles). Only 2,000 athletes make it to the Championship. Logan said he is excited to be racing against the best-of-the-best.
When asked about his experience as a Midway student, he said the faculty show just as much compassion for their students as the coaches. Logan knew he wanted to go into sport marketing and communications when he started college, but his experiences with Dr. Jeb Gorham sealed his decision. “He has a good spirit. I want to go to his class every day and learn everything he has to teach.”
In Dr. Gorham’s sport marketing class, Logan had the opportunity to work with a real client, professional cyclist James Bethea. Logan called this an “amazing” experience that gave he and his classmates the chance to see how their actions could translate to success for a client. Bethea gained a number of ambassadorships and was nominated to the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in February 2022.
When asked what advice he had for individuals looking to begin running, cycling, or swimming, Logan said to just start. “The hardest part is getting out the door,” he said. “Once you start, you will find it hard to stop.”