COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho-- A man recovering from an injury is competing in Ironman on Sunday.
Kirk Wood-Gaines has been recovering from an injured Achilles for months. A week before the Ironman, he decided to compete.
Wood-Gaines has been through eight Ironman triathlons. He said he competed in the first Ironman in Coeur d'Alene, and he could not imagine himself on the sidelines for the last.
The 140.6 Ironman race has been held in Coeur d'Alene since 2003. This is the last full race. There is another race, a 70.3 half-Ironman. That race will continue.
"It has been a wonderful thing for our community and it is sad to me. It is sad to lose it," said Wood-Gaines.
Wood-Gaines said with his injury, he has not been training like usual for the Ironman course. He said he has been going to the pool and spin class, but not running. He said he has been building up to a six mile run on the treadmill, 20 miles short of the 26.2 mile run on Sunday.
Wood-Gaines said with a little help from his family and a little motivation, he can make it.
"I have the backing and support of my family and with that we're going to test my body and see how it goes," Wood-Gaines said. "If I can stay mentally strong and just go into this as this is just a celebration of health, I will have fun and hopefully I will be able to finish."
The Ironman triathlon is Sunday in Coeur d'Alene. Find out how you can be a part of it here.