Athlete Spotlight: Ryan Lawrey

Ryan Lawrey made a commitment to compete a 1/2 Ironman 70.3 distance triathlon. He had never done a triathlon before. He had never swam laps in a pool. He didn’t own a high-end racing bike and he, self-proclaimed, wasn’t much on running. Yet, determination, commitment and dedication took him from that dream to a reality.

Ryan reached out to Dan Gabbert through the USA Triathlon Certified Coach list with an email. The two connected via Zoom – Ryan lives about 3 hours away from Kansas City – and they decided to work together towards Ryan’s goal.

They met in person for some time in the pool and a ride. Through video and some hands-on work in the pool, Ryan quickly made some fundamental changes to his swim stroke and began to feel more comfortable in the water. Ryan’s progress throughout the training cycle was smooth and consistent until he was ready to tackle the Tennessee River!

Ryan was extremely consistent with his workouts moving them around vacations and his 12-hours shifts as a nurse. He showed steady and consistent progress in all three disciplines.

Ryan and Dan met online a few times to discuss his progress and talk strategy for his upcoming race. One last meeting in person to do an open water swim, work on sighting and get comfortable in the open water and it was just a few weeks until race day.

On Sunday, May 17, 2026, Ryan jumped into the Tennessee River with about 2,000 other athletes and started his journey. He finished that evening within his goal time and now, Ryan, you’re a real triathlete!

Ryan says he may not do another triathlon, but since Chattanooga he continues to ride and says it’s become a great way to stay healthy and fit.