Lauren Lemke, who teaches honors and Advanced Placement chemistry at Plainfield South High School, is heading to France to compete in the Ironman World Championship.
The 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26.2-mile run event is Sunday, September 22, in Nice, France.
Lemke, who has been at PSHS for 21 years, has always been active and was a runner in high school.
Lemke said she got hooked on the endurance sports world by participating in smaller triathlons.
“I enjoy the race atmosphere and event, it’s a supportive community, and I have a good support system of family and friends,” she said.
Lemke also ran the Boston Marathon in 2017, and she then set her sights on qualifying for the Ironman World Championship.
She completed Ironman races in 2013, 2018, 2021, and 2023.
Ironman races have a predetermined number of slots to qualify for the championships. The slots get divided by age groups, with more slots going to bigger age groups.
Lemke placed sixth in the qualifying Ironman to earn her slot.
Lemke trains daily. As the race approaches, she rides her bike for seven hours and runs for almost four hours on the weekends.
Her students are impressed and cannot believe she does all that exercise in one day.
Lemke also takes her Ironman lessons of perseverance and overcoming obstacles to her classroom.
“Just keep moving forward, persevere, and set goals for yourself, and you can achieve them,” Lemke said.
So, what is her goal for Sunday’s race?
“To finish and be happy,” Lemke said.
