Two-Man Ironman

A father-and-son team turns disability into triumph

- Adrienne Farr

ON SEPT. 17, 2022, a father and son set out to begin the first of three legs of the Ironman competition in Cambridge, Maryland. Jeff Agar, 59, and his son, Johnny Agar, 28, weren't the typical entrants. Johnny has cerebral palsy.

His difficulty walking is compounded by muscle weakness and spasms. Jeff would act as his arms and legs, literally carrying the weight of his son throughout the race.

To qualify as having finished, competitors must complete a grueling 140 miles of swimming, bicycling and running in under 17 hours. Jeff and Johnny had participated together in five Ironman competitions, but they had yet to finish in the requisite time frame.

From the day Johnny was born, Jeff and Becki Agar refused to let their son's disabilities hold him back. Determined to show Johnny that he could pursue his dream of being an athlete, when he was 15 years old, they signed him up with myTeam Triumph, an organization that helps kids with disabilities engage in endurance sports.