Samuel Klopfenstein, a senior biochemistry major, qualified in July for the Ironman 70.3 triathlon world championships. 

Klopfenstein is a triathlete who, since 2021, has been competing in and heavily training for sprint, Olympic and Ironman 70.3 triathlons, the last of which are commonly known as “half Ironmans.” 

His first race was in 2019, at the Rock the Quarry sprint triathlon in Goshen. He signed up with his father, who was a triathlete himself.

“The reason that I got into triathlons was my dad,” Klopfenstein said. “As a kid, we would get up at the crack of dawn … and drive somewhere to watch his races.”

Klopfenstein’s father competed in 12 Ironman 70.3 races, and one full Ironman triathlon. An Ironman triathlon is a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bicycle ride and a 26.2-mile marathon run.

About a week before the 2019 Rock the Quarry triathlon, Klopfenstein’s father was training on a bicycle when he was struck by a car and hospitalized. He passed away shortly after.

“That was a very devastating part of my life and grief never goes away fully,” Klopfenstein said. He said that triathlons are “how I connect with my dad and with the memories that I shared with him.” 

This triathlon season, he competed in six races with one more set for Sept. 20.

In order to race that many times, Klopfenstein stuck to a consistent training regimen. “On average, I was doing 9 to 14 hours of training a week,” he said. 

“My normal schedule would be trying to do three to four runs, three to four bikes and then two to three swims a week,” Klopfenstein said. “It’s a lot of training, but I love every second of it and all that comes with it.”

What comes with the training is difficulty with scheduling and training for the cross-country team, of which Klopfenstein is a member. He said that he had to make a deal with Rustin Nyce, the team’s head coach, to be able to train for both cross-country and triathlons.

Klopfenstein said, “Sometimes I’ll go to practices and then arrive with my cycling gear and go for a bike ride, or sometimes I’ll do my own workouts. … It’s also great to be with others because in my triathlon training it’s all alone.”

Nyce was more than happy to accommodate Klopfenstein’s schedule, and spoke highly of him.

“What some people may not realize is the amount of self-accountability it takes to do all of the things Samuel [Klopfenstein] does. He is a good friend to people on campus. He is a top-tier student in a rigorous major.  He is a competitive runner. And, in his spare time, he is a top age-group triathlete,” Nyce said.

On Klopfenstein qualifying for the world championship Ironman 70.3 race, Nyce said he was unsurprised, given Klopfenstein’s dedication. “Honestly, I never really considered that he would not qualify,” Nyce said.

At the end of a race, Klopfenstein celebrates by raising his hands above his head. This was another thing he learned from his father.

“He would finish his races and say that you need to do some celebration. You need to acknowledge the achievement in some way,” he said.

“Whether it’s a small race or a big one, I always honor my dad by doing that.”

With reporting by Greta Miller and Ana Alves Machado