EHS Ironman Competes in Mexico

Andre L. races in the Desert Baja half Ironman.

Andre L., class of 2023, is not your typical student-athlete. At only 18 years old he has completed four half Ironman competitions and one full Ironman, incredible feats of endurance. Half Ironman triathlons consist of a 70.3 mile race in length and the full Ironman involves 112 miles of running, cycling, and swimming.

Andre’s Ironman journey began two years ago when his father Lance, also an endurance athlete, hired Olympian Manuel Huerta as a trainer and enabled both of them to receive first-class training. Over the Summer of ‘22 after a period of very intense training, Andre and Lance traveled to Luxembourg and competed in their first full Ironman.

Andre says his training has transformed his physique and performance, but more importantly, he has also experienced a shift within himself. He has changed how he approaches life and school—being accountable to classes and coursework as well as a grueling travel schedule. Every morning he wakes at 4:45 AM and starts his training. In his dorm room, he keeps a stationary bike where he dedicates 15 hours of riding per week; or 1–3 hours a day depending on whether he can get outside for a run. An average run for Andre is equivalent to a half marathon approximately 13 miles—impressive to say the least!

Most recently on November 5, Andre and his father traveled south to Los Cabos, Mexico where the duo raced in their 4th half Ironman. Andre finished the race 12th in his division ranking (age 18-24), Ranked 159 in gender, and had an overall ranking of 183 out of 1,293 competitors. His finish time was 5:26:37 with a swim time of 32:31; a bike time of 2:52:11; and a run time of 1:56:37. Wade Schrauth, EHS ’22 and a friend of Andre’s, also made the trip to cheer on his friend and to make sure everything was captured on film.

You may be wondering what’s next for this endurance athlete. Within the next five years, he has plans to compete in the 100-mile Ultra Ironman. However, in the immediate future, Andre hopes to create and develop a long-distance running club at Eagle Hill School before graduation this May. His wish is to educate and to get more kids his own age interested in endurance sports, and he hopes that sharing his story will encourage more students to follow in his footsteps! Good luck to you Andre in all your future endeavors, you will always have the support of your Eagle Hill School family behind you.