By Al Benson
A U.S.A. competitor in the Tokyo, Japan Olympic Games triathlon is a familiar face to Fox Valley United Methodist members.
Kevin McDowell was in Geneva High School when he started attending Aurora’s Flowing Forth United Methodist Church (UMC), said his former pastor and now UMC Prairie Central District superintendent, the Reverend Jeffry Bross.
McDowell, 28, has a story of triumph over cancer.
McDowell captured sixth place earlier this week in the men’s individual race and will be in the mixed relay Saturday, July 31. He will turn 29 years Sunday, Aug. 1.
McDowell was the only U.S. competitor in the field of 51 at the start the nationally-televised competition. The three events, in order, are swimming (1,500 meters), biking (40 kilometers, 24.8548 miles), and running (10 kilometers, 6.2137 miles).
His time for the three events combined this week was 1 hour, 45 minutes, 54 seconds (1:45:54).
Receiving medals, in order, Gold, Silver, Bronze, were Kristian Blummenfelt, Norway, 1:45:05; Alex Yee, Great Britain, 1:45:15; Hayden Wilde, New Zealand, 1:45:24.
The only other competitors to finish ahead of McDowell were Marten Van Riel, Belgium, 1:45:52, and Jonathan Brownlee, Great Britain, 1:45:53. Forty-nine of the 51 who started the grueling event finished the course.
Reverend Bross said, “He came on his own to church as a high school kid and at the time was the number one rated (junior) triathlete in the world. He was faithful and went around telling his story about faith and God’s work in his life. His family followed him and started coming to Flowing Forth, so he evangelized.”
The McDowell family later moved to Colorado Springs where Kevin attended college, but Bross said Kevin often visits when he’s back home in the Fox Valley.
A cancer diagnosis 10 years ago nearly sidelined the triathlete, who has won numerous medals and was named USA Triathlon Junior Athlete of the Year in both 2009 and 2010.
“I remember asking the doctors ‘am I going to live and what’s the prognosis?'” McDowell said in a video feature of Tokyo athletes. “When I learned it was Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, we had a little celebration because it’s one of the most curable cancers.”
Despite the difficult chemotherapy treatments that were taking a toll on his body, McDowell fought back and continued to train with support from his family, church connections, and a cancer charity called Cal’s Angels, which grants wishes, raises awareness, and provides funds for research to help kids fighting cancer.
His Olympic Games dream that he’s had since age 11 finally came true when he was selected by USA Triathlon to compete in this year’s Summer Games.
“Tears came down instantly. I was shaking and it was a wave of emotion,” McDowell said in the feature about the call to be on the team:
“The goal is not just to go to the Olympic Games, but to truly compete and be in the running for the highest position individually. But I think we also have a special opportunity with the mixed team relay. We are going there with our eyes set on Gold.”