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John Dermengian Makes an Incredible Return to Kona
August 31, 2006 – John Dermengian, local Kailua-Kona resident and inspirational athlete, will compete at the 2006 Ford Ironman World Championship. On October 21, Dermengian, 51, will join more than 1,800 athletes in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, for the world’s most prestigious and challenging endurance event. In addition to earning the honor of his second Ironman finish, Dermengian also holds the record for being the first permanent ileostomate to complete the Kona race.
The Ford Ironman World Championship takes place on the Big Island of Hawaii and consists of a 2.4 Mile swim, 112 Mile bike and a 26.2 Mile run. Athletes are tested both mentally and physically as they attempt the three disciplines, in succession, through scorching temperatures and gusting winds over the duration of up to 17 hours.
Dermengian is a survivor of a chronic inflammatory bowel disease and hereditary colon cancer. In 1999, he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, one of two medically incurable inflammatory bowel diseases (the other illness is known as Crohn's disease). During his treatment for the disease, doctors discovered that he also suffered from hereditary colon cancer. In June of 2000, he required life-saving intestinal surgery that forced doctors to amputate his entire colon, rectum and anus. The surgery resulted in Dermengian having a permanent end-ileostomy and an external prosthesis to collect bodily waste.
Although challenging and life-altering, the surgery was a blessing in disguise and ended years of pain, weight loss, fatigue, abdominal cramping and inability to eat. Following his surgery, Dermengian became interested in triathlon when he experienced the 2001 Ironman Triathlon World Championship as a spectator and volunteer. He then participated in his first triathlon, the Lavaman Triathlon, which led him to compete at the 2003 Ironman Triathlon World Championship and earn the title of “Ironman.”
“Triathlon has been instrumental in my return to mainstream life by giving me confidence, inner strength and a healthy lifestyle,” said Dermengian.
After undergoing a second life-saving procedure in September 2005, Dermengian set his sights to complete a second World Championship in Kona. This year, he is racing as a sponsored athlete for the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America (CCFA) to help bring greater awareness to the organization’s cause. Facing issues with his ostomy such as nutrition, hydration, apparel, appropriate bike fit, prosthesis fit and poor water buoyancy, Dermengian is determined to share his successes and challenges with other patients and athletes living with the same condition. To date, Dermengian has completed more than 100 races including biathlons, marathons, half-marathons, 10K runs, cycle time trials, open-ocean rough water swims and triathlons ranging in distance from sprint to Ironman.
“My effort will instill hope to those affected by these terrible and cruel diseases and inspiration through the example of human potential under extremely challenging conditions. My journey will reconfirm the notion that ‘anything is possible.’”
To learn more about the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America, visit www.ccfa.org.
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