Neighbor News
IRONMAN World Championship Triathlete Raises Awareness for Pancreatic
Shannon Crone, President of Sky Foundation, Inc., has qualified for the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, Hawaii on October 14, 2023.
Shannon Crone, President of Sky Foundation, Inc., has qualified for the IRONMAN World Championship on October 14, 2023, in Kona, Hawaii. She will compete in this prestigious and grueling event while raising awareness and funds for pancreatic cancer research in memory of her husband, Mike, who died from the disease in 2019.
Crone, who started training for and competing in IRONMAN events in 2014, calls Mike her “greatest cheerleader and supporter” and credits him for introducing her to the championship event in Kona, “Mike had turned the TV station to the championship, knowing I love endurance events and athletics. I remember remarking as an elderly man was stumbling and crawling towards the red carpeted finish line, ‘This is insane! Why do people do this to themselves?’ Now I know. The challenge itself is extraordinary...but what our bodies and minds can accomplish is even greater!”
To earn her spot at the World Championship, Crone finished 8th in her age group at a qualifying event in Madison, Wisconsin, in September of 2022. The 140.6-mile IRONMAN events consist of a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride and finishes with a 26.2-mile marathon. 2,500 women will compete in the event in Kona, which is considered the pinnacle of the sport.
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For Crone, using this stage as a platform to promote pancreatic cancer awareness is a natural
fit. “Since losing Mike in 2019, I have found purpose in creating awareness of pancreatic cancer and Sky Foundation, a nonprofit that supports people impacted by the disease. As I push my body to the limit, I hope to inspire others to find their purpose and never give up on that purpose, no matter how difficult the road may seem.” For more information, visit Crone’s website: https://www.shannoncrone.com.
Sky Foundation is a 501(c)3 located in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. Sky Foundation’s mission is to raise awareness of pancreatic cancer and find an early detection method to increase survival rates and save lives. Each year, it awards seed-money grants to scientists and clinicians from coast to coast who are pursuing research of great promise in early detection, prevention or treatment. Visit www.skyfoundationinc.org.
