Justin Dugan strolls down a trail, snapping photos of landscapes and flowers. He returns to his Acworth home where his wife, Sara, greets him. He sits down, reaches for a paperback novel, and spends the rest of his downtime reading and playing with his kids. If you were watching him at this moment, you’d hardly know his deep passion for sports – let alone his pedigree as a collegiate hockey player, marathoner, and triathlete.
As a hockey player at College of Charleston, he skated between academics and the ice, helping his team win the divisional championship.
“At the beginning, I wasn’t a good student,” Dugan reflects. “But once I got focused on my major – Corporate Communication – and started working in radio I became a great student.”
Dugan’s tenure as a push athlete all began half a decade ago when friend Brent Pease invited him to run with an in-chair athlete in a local race. As Brent sprinted down the road with Kyle in his blue race chair, their eyes glowing with excitement, Justin was inspired to share that bond with an athlete like Kyle.
It’s no secret that athletes in general set lofty goals. Disabled athletes are no exception. Specialized in half-marathons, Justin Dugan had not yet competed in a triathlon, but teamed up with in-chair athlete Justin – a man on a mission to become an Ironman. Together, they executed a rigorous training plan leading up to Ironman Augusta. On track to fulfill their goal, the duo swam and biked halfway through the race when a mechanical breakdown occurred, thwarting their otherwise immaculate performance.
Heartbreaking as it was, Justin Dugan puts a positive spin on that day. “I learned a lot that day from JDude and about the foundation,” says Dugan. Though it was not the outcome they wanted, it made them stronger. For Dugan, it’s not the destination, but the journey that counts.
“There is a lot more to life than running and doing triathlons. It’s the people you meet and the times you get to share that really matter,” says Dugan. “That’s why I do it. I spend time with great people seeing places I’d never see unless I was running or on my bike. At KPF, I get to share that with other athletes, as well as introduce it to new people.”
Interview written by Kevin Enners