Today we’d like to introduce you to Jill Kuhn.
Jill, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I am 43 years old and a wife and mother of four very active boys. Ricky is 13 and plays baseball and runs cross country. Everett is 11 and he plays baseball and jumps hurdles. Sawyer is eight and Emerson is seven and they are both blue belts in Taekwondo. They keep me very busy. My husband has been such a constant source of support for me. While even though he doesn’t share my love of the sport and he doesn’t use social media, he is always encouraging me and supporting my dreams. My husband and my boys all play such an important role in my training. They are my cheerleaders, They run with me, bike with me, and race me in the pool! Oh, and they are my Instagram photographers! Lol! I couldn’t do it without them and I really mean that!
Has it been a smooth road?
In 2013, when my boys were young, I found I needed something for me, some time for myself. And I began running. I was struggling with some unknown health issues at the time. And little did I know it would only get worse. That first year I began running races and even ran my first marathon – The Houston Marathon. I fell in love with running and racing. But my health issues continued to worsen. I was in a lot of pain. I didn’t know if I was running too much, so I decided I wanted to do a triathlon. I wanted to do an Ironman. The challenge was I hadn’t been on a bike other than the bike pulling my kids in a bike trailer lol. And I didn’t know how to swim. And by that I literally mean I never put my face in the water to swim. So I knew I had my work cut out for me! And boy I had no idea! Within the first couple of weeks of riding I had a bike accident that led to two surgeries and many months of physical therapy. In the meantime, I learned to swim. I took a couple of lessons with my two and three years old at the time and I watched Youtube videos, and I spent hours in the pool.
Finally a year later, I was ready to do my first triathlon. The week before, I was in immense pain and couldn’t walk. It was then, I finally received a diagnosis for what I had been struggling with for the past couple years. I was told I had Rheumatoid Arthritis. I was immediately started on a course of medications including oral steroids. And I completed that triathlon! And I cried for days! What I went thru to get to that day and what I accomplished by not giving up showed me I had a strength I never knew I had. And so began the journey to becoming an Ironman and learning to live with Rheumatoid Arthritis. My body was literally attacking itself. I dealt with many stress fractures and broken bones, My uterus fell out during a 12-mile run – that ended up needed a hysterectomy. And I was plagued with constant health ailments ranging from chronic UTI’s to chronic pneumonia. I was on daily steroids and daily antibiotics. I was receiving injections in my stomach for my RA which I now receive medication thru IV infusion.
And there are side effects from these medications. I now also have uveitis in my eyes causing vision loss, chronic hematuria, osteoporosis which has led to all these broken bones, and Cushing’s disease which has so kindly given me an additional 20 pounds, Between illnesses, another broken bone (my foot), doctors appointments, and being a wife and mom of four boys, training for Ironman was more than I ever could have imagined. Training for an Ironman as a healthy person is an incredibly difficult task. But I knew I couldn’t give up. One thing since my diagnosis that has always gone thru my mind is that I never know how long I will be able to do this. So for me, I feel like each day is a gift. And I want to do everything I can before my body can’t. And so just making it to the start line, with the odds so stacked against me, was a huge accomplishment for me! And every single moment of that day will forever be etched in my memory. Despite excruciating pain, a smile never left my face! I did it! I crossed that finish line. I am an Ironman.
But my story couldn’t end there. There is still so much I want to accomplish. So since becoming an Ironman, I ran the New York marathon and the Chicago Marathon. I ran a 50 mile and 100k ultramarathon. I trained for a 100-mile ultramarathon. But that day I only completed 50 miles due to a fractured vertebrae in my lower spine and displaced vertebrae in my neck. And yet my story still does not end. I am a fighter. While RA may slow me down, it does not define me, and it will not STOP me! I’m excited to see what the future holds. I know it won’t be easy. But I know I will never stop fighting.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Iron Will Iron Jill story. Tell us more about the business.
Back in 2015, I opened an Instagram account to document my journey to becoming an Ironman. I had no idea how that would impact my journey at the time. I really was using it just as a journal for me, I never imagined I would ever be an inspiration to other people. Honestly, I still find it a little hard to believe. I think of myself as an average person. I struggle to even think of myself as an athlete. But somehow my journey has reached 28,500+ people. I have had more opportunities than I could have dreamed of and I have met some of the most incredible people! And I hope that my story shows someone that despite their obstacles, whether it be time, money, health, fitness level, or anything, to never give up. Our attitude is about the only thing we truly have control over, and I choose to be positive and keep fighting. And I hope I inspire others to do the same.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ironwillironjill.com
- Email: ironwillironjill@yahoo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironwillironjill/
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/ironwillironjill/
- Other: https://www.amazon.com/shop/ironwillironjill
Image Credit:
Scott Flathouse Photo (bike pic), Digital Knight Productions (race pic in the rain)
Getting in touch: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
