The Man with the Halo

Tim’s Story 

Throughout his career, Tim has been considered an elite athlete, but to become the very best, he had to push himself harder than any of his competitors. By breaking down every step of his race into smaller goals and challenges, he achieved more than he ever imagined. Today, when circumstances get in the way of achieving those goals, Tim remains focused and determined, which keeps him at the top of his game.

Topping the podium

On May 28, 2017, Tim Don became the fastest Ironman triathlete of his time, clocking in at 7:40:23. Before Tim, the record for Ironman distance(2.4 mile(3.8 km) swim, 112 mile(180 km) bike, 26.2 mile(42.2 km) run) stood at 7:44:29, set by Lionel Sanders with a 53:45 swim, 4:04:38 bike and a 2:42:21 marathon. 

His stellar performance included a 44:16 swim, 4:06:56 bike and 2:44:46 marathon, and after leaving Brazil he strived to go faster – setting his site on the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.

Clearly in top form with plenty of training time still to go, Tim was talked up by many as a favorite to win the most iconic race in Ironman and write himself even further into the sport’s history books. But he never started the race. 

The accident 

Just days before the event, Tim was hit by a truck while cycling. Scans revealed that he had broken his neck.  

Almost immediately, Tim’s resolve to bounce back was clear. Whatever the outcome, the story of Tim’s recovery was going to be one of bravery and determination in the face of adversity. To document Tim’s journey, On teamed up with Emmy-award-winning director Andrew Hinton. The result is the inspirational short documentary, The Man with the Halo. 

Tim adapts

Among several options for treating his injury, only one would offer Tim even a chance at competing with the best again: a halo. 

 Despite its angelic name, the halo resembled something from a torture chamber. A circular metal framework, it was fixed directly into Tim’s skull and supported on his shoulders to help him heal. 

 The following four months tested even an Ironman like Tim to his very limits, mentally and physically. When the halo was removed at the start of 2018, it marked the end of the first chapter of Tim’s recovery and the beginning of his return to the Ironman. 

Triumph after tragedy

Less than half a year after he broke his neck, Tim was already in the gym with his sights on big goals. Remarkably, on April 16, almost exactly six months after the accident, Tim took on the 2018 Boston Marathon. Despite driving rain and temperatures close to freezing, Tim finished in 2 hours, 49 minutes and 42 seconds, just five minutes more than the marathon leg of his world-record-setting Ironman race in Florianopolis, Brazil in May 2017.  

On July 29, 2018, Tim was back on an elite Ironman start line in Hamburg, Germany. A ninth-place finish marked an incredible achievement but was not enough to secure a return to Kona. Undeterred, Tim made another bid for qualification just three weeks later at Ironman Denmark in Copenhagen. Unfortunately, the race didn’t go to plan. After a strong start, Tim was forced to retire. Just as he was accepting that a return to the World Championships would have to wait, news came that one of the qualifiers had dropped out. Ranked just outside the qualification places, Tim would take his spot. The Man with the Halo was heading back to Kona. 

Iron again

On October 13, 2018, Tim stood on the start line in Kona ready to take on the Ironman World Championships. The journey for the Man with the Halo had come full circle, thanks only to Tim’s unstoppable determination in the face of unthinkable adversity. With the lava fields as hot and unforgiving as ever, Tim crushed the Kona course in 8:45, finishing in 53rd in a field of over 2000. For Tim, it was the closure that mattered more than the result. The Kona finish line had become a start line for his next chapter. Today, he continues to compete in triathlons, and nothing stands in his way.