PROMISES OF IRON
ASU Foundation employee competes in triathlon to honor late alum's memory

This is a story of two men who defied the odds. Young athlete and alum David McHugh was the epitome of triumph over formidable obstacles. Reared by his grandparents, McHugh put himself through college. Five years ago, he was back in ASU's classrooms less than two months after open-heart surgery for heart disease.

Inspired by the doctors who saved his life, McHugh became an exercise physiologist who won the hearts of staff and patients at Banner Baywood Heart Hospital in east Mesa with his infectious optimism and the example he set for others.

McHugh's dedication to strenuous, daily workouts won him praise from colleagues at the heart hospital, and his work with patients also caught the attention of the hospital's medical professionals and top officials. To mark his revival, McHugh was determined to compete in the Ironman Arizona Triathlon in April.

Tragically, the odds turned against McHugh. While training for the Ironman in October, he collapsed and died of a heart arrhythmia during an early-morning training run near his Highley, Ariz. home. He was 29.

Friends and family were determined to honor his dream of finishing the race. So when they approached Peter Slate, a fellow cyclist and triathlete, to complete the race in McHugh's honor, he could not refuse. Slate, chief executive officer of AzTE, ASU's technology commercialization company, had competed in multiple triathlons but had never competed in an Ironman-length contest, which consists of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike, and a 26.2-mile run.

"As I learned of how David made such a positive impact on so many people's lives, I was compelled to take on this challenge for his friends and family," said Slate, 40.

Slate had is own set of odds to buck to complete the Ironman. While most people train years to compete in Ironman triathlons, Slate had 10 weeks to prepare.

His training regimen a month before the race was as follows: a long run of at least 12 miles on Mondays, followed by a "brick" of a 30-plus-mile bike ride and a three mile run on Tuesdays. Wednesdays feature a "light" run of six or seven miles, then it was back to a "brick" day of 40 miles of biking and three miles of running on Thursdays. Fridays were days of decidedly lighter activities, perhaps because Saturdays were filled with a six-to-eight-hour (yes, hour) bike ride and a five-mile run. On Sundays, Slate rested. (Whew.)

Slate noted that his son asked him during his training period, "Dad, will you be able to finish?" and he acknowledged that many other friends and supporters were probably wondering the same thing. But Slate was confident he would finish.

"A big part of competing in any distance competition is mental," Slate added. "If things start to get rough, I will think about why I am doing the race and I am sure it will get me through it."

Slate's participation in the Ironman is not the only memorial to McHugh's life. Banner Baywood Heart Hospital has developed a scholarship in his name that will allow a full-time ASU student majoring in an exercise or science field to receive up to $500 each semester. For more details about the scholarship, contact Kristen Deye at (480) 854-5203.