Alumna Makes Podium at Ironman World Championship

Sharon (Frifeldt) Keith, a 1977 Northern Michigan University nursing graduate, competed in the Half-Ironman World Championship in New Zealand last month. She placed third among women in her 70-74 age group, swimming 1.2 miles in open water, biking 56 miles, then running 13.1 miles with no breaks in between. Keith's extended involvement in endurance events inspires younger athletes she trains with in Honolulu. It also enables her to make up for some lost time, as she was a relatively late bloomer in the sporting arena.

"There were few opportunities for females to participate in organized sports when I was growing up; Title IX wasn't passed until 1972 when I was already an undergrad," she said. "Around that time, people started getting interested in running marathons. During my time in Marquette in the 70s, I tried running my first mile along the railroad tracks on Lake Street and thought, 'Running is way too hard!' I also rode my first 50-mile bike ride from Marquette to Big Bay. I didn't start any formal training until I was 50 years old. Four years later, I won my age group in an Olympic-distance triathlon and thought, 'Wow, this is a lot of fun.'"

Breast cancer and other issues derailed Keith's training for a period but did not deflate her competitive spirit. For her 10-year cancer recovery celebration, she decided to do a half Ironman and finished first in her age group. Keith said she wanted to be "a cancer thriver, not just a survivor."

She amped up that achievement by qualifying to compete in the 140.6-mile 2018 Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. Initially intimidated by the prospect, her coach convinced her to take advantage of an opportunity thousands of triathletes worldwide dream about. She finished second in her age group.

"I keep moving because I like how it makes me feel," said Keith, explaining her longevity in triathlon events and the associated training. "I want to be able to say 'yes' to cool life adventures. Staying connected to my community of athletes is important to me and I want to age with strength and mobility. Being fit is a lifestyle. Competition is a goal to commit to and strive for. Making the podium is thrilling at the end of a long training season! That visibility of being on the podium also helps to inspire others, because if I can do it, so can they."

Like many athletes, Keith has been temporarily sidelined by her share of injuries over the years. In mid-2023, she broke her pelvis and an elbow in a training accident. It took her 18 months to recover.

"Injuries are common and unfortunate, but the body wants to heal. What I find most rewarding are the social aspects of training with friends and others, and sharing knowledge gleaned from my years of experience with younger people just starting. There are some hard days and some easy or rest days. It's all about the consistency that helps build up your body to the point where you can go out on race day and perform well. We make the training fun regardless; it's not worth it otherwise. I don't have the answer yet as to how long this is going to last. I keep at it and try new ways to improve or, at least, maintain fitness. It's an interesting journey."

Keith recalls that she decided to pursue nursing at NMU because the scientific aspects appealed to her. She said Northern's program was rigorous and required a lot of discipline and hard work, but the professors were inspirational and cared about their students. Because Keith completely supported herself while attending NMU, she had to temporarily interrupt her academics to work full time and earn more money to continue her BSN degree.

"I had a great and varied career in nursing," she said. "I continued to live in the Upper Peninsula after getting my undergrad degree and worked at Marquette General Hospital for a few years. Because I'm a water baby, I wanted to go somewhere I could swim without freezing, so I moved to Honolulu and worked for a few different healthcare systems here. I did critical care nursing and worked in the ER. I also worked as a cruise ship nurse in the islands. The last two decades of my career were spent in nursing education."

Before competing in December's Half Ironman World Championship in New Zealand, Keith made a trip to Marquette last summer to visit a friend from her undergrad days: NMU Trustee Greg Seppanen and his wife, Carol. She returns to the area about every other year and said she is impressed with how Marquette has evolved, calling it "a really beautiful city."