After being diagnosed with cancer, Ronen Lan-Rieder underwent chemotherapy treatments at Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam) in Haifa, Israel. Determined to beat the disease, he set a goal to participate in a triathlon.
Ronen Lan-Rieder with his family. Photography: Courstesy of the Lan-Rieder family.
Lan-Rieder was treated at the Rambam’s Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplantation Institute. He describes himself as a ‘dreamer and a doer.’ He never doubted that he would recover and take on new chalLanges. “I dreamed that once recovered, I would participate in a triathlon,” he shares. “It would help my rehabilitation and confirm that I had eliminated the [cancer] villain.”
Preparing for a triathlon includes a special diet and intensive physical training, and Lan-Rieder had to learn everything from scratch—riding, swimming, and running on a professional level. “After months of battling cancer, my body was shattered, and I was in pain, but my mind was strong,” he adds. “My coach encouraged me to ride a bike and taught me how to swim in a pool and in the sea. My nutritionist helped me lose weight and also became my training partner, mentor, and friend.
Waking up before dawn to train became routine, and Lan-Rieder made many new friends. “My goal was to celebrate my recovery by participating in Israel’s Ironman Championship in November–the hardest triathalon of all–but then October 7 disrupted our lives.” Now he had two reasons to run: A celebration of his recovery and to honor those still in captivity.
On the morning of the triathlon, he was up early, checked in for the triathlon, and made his way to the starting point on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. “My heart was pounding,” Lan-
Rieder recalls. “I kept my feelings to myself – it was business as usual.”
As the swim began, he dove into the water and worked on improving his position. Then he started to cry. “My tears flowed into the sea,” he adds. “It was overwhelming, just like my first cancer treatment.” He steadied his breath, and after what felt like an eternity, he spotted the buoy signaling the turn-back point. He finished sixth in his age group.
A 40-km cycling event followed. “After a slow start, my thoughts drifted to Rambam, which had been part of my life for almost a year, and how proud my attending physician, Dr. Tsofia Levi, would be of me.” He finished tenth in his age group.
The final stage was a two-lap, 10 km run. “It was tough,” Lan-Rieder says. “I was overwhelmed, and I could feel tears behind my sunglasses. Along the way, I chatted with a few runners and met my coach, in his final lap. He smiled and encouraged me.”
The final lap was hard, as his legs became heavy, but the heavier they got, the bigger his smile became. He elaborates, “300 meters before the finish line, I began sprinting excitedly.” Lan-Rieder saw his family at the finish line, cheering him on. After placing sixth in his age group, he was awarded a medal.
During the triathlon, Lan-Rieder held onto a yellow ribbon, dedicated to the hostages and victims of October 7, as well as to those who supported him through his difficult personal journey. He concludes, “I dedicate this yellow ribbon to all of those whose journey is not over yet—we eagerly await them. I am free –now it’s their turn.”
Lan-Rieder holding a yellow ribbon while racing.
Photo courtesy of the family.
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