Long before dawn breaks over the mountains surrounding Breckenridge, Summit County resident Michelle Lyman pulls into the deserted Breckenridge Recreation Center parking lot.

Stepping reluctantly from the warm solace of her car, Lyman begins logging laps under the faint glow of the lot’s overhead lights. It’s the first of several workouts she’ll log that day — often surprising recreation center employees who arrive to open the facility and find her already deep into her training routine.

For Lyman, qualifying for the Ironman World Championships has been a lifelong dream. 

Since she started competing in triathlons in 2002, Lyman, 52, has been dead set on making it to the pinnacle of the triathlon world. The experienced endurance athlete even qualified for the annual competition back in 2019, but she made the decision to not compete.

“I actually originally qualified in 2019, but at that point I was kind of starting my journey to have a baby late in life,” Lyman said. 

In her late 40s, Lyman recognized that it was “now or never” when it came to having a baby. While she knew the decision could mean that she would never actualize her dreams of lining up for the Ironman World Championships, it was a risk she was willing to take if it meant she could have a child. 

After giving birth to her daughter in 2021, Lyman soon came to realize that her athletic aspirations were very possible. Though she was now faced with raising a child on top of adhering to a rigorous training schedule, Lyman returned to logging countless hours of training to attempt to qualify for the prestigious event. 

“All I had to do to requalify was to do two consecutive-year Ironmans, plus a third the year I was going,” Lyman said.

Lyman competed in an Ironman in 2023 and 2024 before beginning to prepare for a final Ironman in the front half of 2025. One race away from qualifying for the championships in Kona, Lyman trained before sunrise, completing several workouts before her daughter woke up for the day.

“I do a lot of things before my significant other goes to work at 8 a.m.,” Lyman said, “which means that sometimes I have to back up my workouts and wake up at like 4 a.m. to start my workouts.” 

Throughout the winter, Lyman logged so many workouts within the Breckenridge Recreation Center that staff and guests took notice of her astonishing dedication.

“I would park at like 4:30 in the morning and start running outside the rec center,” Lyman said. “Right when the rec center opened at 5:30 a.m., I would go in. I definitely scared some people that were opening. They were like ‘Why is there someone running in the parking lot in the dark?'”

In total, Lyman routinely logs 16 to 19 workout sessions a week while getting ready for any major Ironman race. The demanding schedule often leaves Lyman utterly exhausted by the end of the day.

“It is a balancing act with a kid,” Lyman said. “I try to be really present with her during the day, but sometimes at night I am so tired. When normal people are trying to eat dinner, I am probably drooling on myself at that point.”

On top of the hours of training Lyman puts in each week, the endurance athlete has to tailor her training to the the resources that are available in Summit County. At over 9,000 feet elevation, Summit County is a great place for endurance training, but it lacks a viable open water source to practice her swimming. 

As a result, Lyman lengthens the amount of time she spends in the rec center’s pool in order to compensate for the lack of waves and currents. 

During the buildup to her final qualifying event — Ironman Texas, back in April — Lyman suffered an injury that jeopardized years of hard work and sacrifices. 

While snow fell down around her, Lyman failed to see a curb and tripped into an outcropping of rocks, resulting in a sprained ankle. Lyman was advised not to compete at Ironman Texas, but decided to soldier on and lined up for the event.

Needing to complete the race in under 17 hours, Lyman went about the race at a conservative pace and focused on securing a ticket to Kona in October. With Advil helping to alleviate any pain she was feeling, Lyman completed the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run in a time of 14 hours, 46 minutes and 14 seconds.

The time was enough for Lyman to achieve her dream of successfully earning a coveted spot at the Ironman World Championships in Kona.

“If I hadn’t finished that race I would have had to try and requalify with three more races,” Lyman said. “I would have had to start over again. You put your head down, take some deep breaths and hope things go well in the race.”

After years of making sacrifices and waking up in the dark, Lyman could not be more pleased to have the opportunity to toe the start line at the World Championships in a few, short weeks.

Lyman’s journey to Kona would not have been possible without the village of people in her life. From family members, close friends, partners and physicians, the Summit County community truly paved a path for Lyman to perform at her best.

“I fortunately had a very good support system — lots of families and friends that have been with me on this journey,” Lyman said. “There are lots of good vibes going to Hawaii.”

Four weeks out from the World Championship event, Lyman has begun her final preparations, including getting acclimated to the heat and humidity by completing sauna sessions. Lyman knows that the race will test her both mentally and physically, but she is looking forward to soaking in a moment she has been looking forward to for the better part of two decades. 

“It is pretty emotional for me to know where I started, to know where I have come,” Lyman said. “Just getting to the start line is a big accomplishment. Not only do I have something to prove to myself, but I also need to show my daughter that at any age, if you sacrifice, if you dream big, you attain anything. I think that is really important.”

The Ironman World Championships will take place in Kona, Hawaii, on Saturday, Oct. 11. For updates about Lyman’s progress throughout the race, download the Ironman Athlete Tracker app from the Apple App Store or from Google Play.