Should someone who suffers from panic attacks due to a fear of swimming in open water (with alligators and sharks 😉) really sign up for any Ironman anywhere? I’ve struggled for decades with this fear and I’ve been working for years to overcome it…with snail like progress. When a group of Fillnow Coaching athletes approached me about Ironman California in October of 2025, my mind went straight to the swim portion…and all the alligators 😁. People always say to find your “why” for these types of events, but this time I’d need a little more than that. How about adding a heavy dose of “Why Not?”? IM Cali just happens to coincide with my 50th birthday…so there you have it…Why Not? Alligators hate tough, old meat anyways, right??
Steve Petrea
