‘An unbelievable, great time’ for cancer survivors in race
Published: September 13, 2005
A year ago, Pete Daly was unable to run a step.
So Sunday, the fact that he ran 26.2 miles of them made him possibly the happiest man to complete Ironman Wisconsin.
“I had an unbelievable, great time,” he said after the race, which he finished with a time of 13:48:59. “Not the finish time, but the experience was hard to top.”
Daly was diagnosed three years ago with stage III melanoma, which spread to his lymph system and eventually throughout his body. He was given a 50 percent chance of survival.
He wanted to compete in the event last year, but the cancer had reached his foot, and doctors forbid him to run. Instead, he walked it, and still managed to finish 45 minutes before the midnight cut-off.
Being able to run again this year, Daly said, was “a dream come true. And doing this kind of thing is a little staggering for my mind.”
Daly, who was profiled in The Capital Times Saturday, called Sunday’s Ironman an uplifting experience.
He met up with his 14-year-old son, Sam, at the bottom of State Street. His 12-year-old daughter, Mary, joined them on the Capitol Square, and the three came through the finish line together.
“That was a real kick to run in with them. We charged in together and I felt pretty fresh at that point seeing them and joining with them across the finish line,” said Daly, of Madison, who turned 52 on Saturday.
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