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ReeAnn Zamora’s Health Journey Leads to Ironman Completion

and Belief in Herself as an Athlete

ReeAnn Zamora, RN, Ambulatory Case Her training consisted of two to three
Manager, Tustin, remembers a day about hours of training Tuesday through Friday,
15 years ago, when she was taking care of a and between five and nine hours of training
patient in labor and delivery. “Everyone was on the weekend. “The training was harder
bustling about that she was an Ironman. I than the race,” ReeAnn said, adding that
didn’t even know what a triathlon was, let mental toughness is what is truly needed to
alone an Ironman. When it was explained to get through the actual challenge.
me, I was in awe. I remember distinctly that
day saying to myself, ‘It’s too bad I could not During the competition, she never felt like
do that; I wasn’t born to be an athlete.’ In she wanted to quit or couldn’t finish. Some
that moment, I dismissed myself from being parts of the challenge were tougher than
able to have that dream.” she expected, such as the swim (in much
colder water than anticipated). But nothing
And yet, on November 18, 2018, in made her want to quit. “It wasn’t my inten-
Tempe, Arizona, ReeAnn did just that— tion to win first place,” ReeAnn said. “I
she became an Ironman. (An Ironman wanted to finish within the cutoff time.”
challenge consists of a 2.4-mile swim, And that she did—with a completion time
112-mile bike ride, and 26.2-mile run). of 16 hours, 15 minutes, and 30 seconds.

Her health journey has been a long and She has two Half Ironmans on the books
varied one, continuing to evolve as she for next year. Her goal is to work on intensity
herself evolves. and speed. “My goals are to improve my
ReeAnn Zamora after completing the Ironman.
bike and run times,” she said. Part of the en-
ReeAnn, now 54, remembers in 2011, tire process is finding out things about your-
hitting a wall. “Through many years of being overweight, deep self. “It is so cathartic,” ReeAnn said. “When you get on the other
depression, and debilitating sciatica, I had had enough,” she side, you can see where your limits are not.”
said. “Enough of, not being able to wear socks or tie my own
shoes. Enough of looking in the mirror and hating the person Over the years, during her health journey, ReeAnn, who is a
that I saw. It was time to do something…anything. So I started champ with the Vitality wellness program, increased her goals in in-
with a walk to the end of the street, then around the block, and crements. “This built my confidence as a woman and as an athlete,”
then to two miles.” she said. “My confidence has changed, after breaking through body
shaming and limiting barriers. I like proving myself wrong. Now I call
In summer of 2013, she signed up for a local beginner triathlon myself an athlete, and now I can say I am an Ironman.”
for women and kids, the iTry. “I trained for six weeks through a
clinic and on August 24, 2013, in 1 hour and 58 minutes, I be- She will always remember finishing the race. She remembers
came a triathlete and I was hooked! The women and the com- hearing her family and friends calling her name from the bleach-
munity were my new home.” ers. “I have worked so very hard not just physically but mentally
for this very moment and now I am going to embrace it deep
Over the years she competed in progressively more challenging ath- into my soul,” ReeAnn recalled. “I hear Mike Reilly say, ‘You are
letic competitions. In 2015, she completed a Half Ironman. “At that an Ironman.’ Music to my ears. I have made it. I have made the
time, I decided for sure I wanted to do an Ironman. I thought it would journey from a girl who believed she wasn’t meant to be an ath-
take me until 2020 to compete.” Because she had such a strong de- lete, to accomplishing a beginner’s iTry super sprint, to an Iron-
sire to do the competition, she decided to compete in 2018 instead. man, and I couldn’t be any more grateful or blessed!”

Do you know someone who has completed an extraordinary physical fitness activity within the last year?
If you would like to nominate their Extraordinary Achievement, please contact Janet Galli or Ifsha Buttitta.