Ironman athlete makes donating blood part of his endurance training
There's a large community of endurance athletes in Northern California and the Red Cross says the athletes are great candidates to donate blood.
One triathlete says donating blood has become part of his training.
Jonathan Wan is on a mission to keep athletes safe and seen while swimming, biking and running.
He created waterproof lights that flash and can be placed on a bike, helmet, or a person's clothes.
Wan is an Ironman athlete and recently crossed the Ironman California finish line in Sacramento in October.
"It takes a lot to complete the course, not to mention training," he said.
An Ironman consists of a 2.4-mile swim and 112-mile bike ride, followed by a marathon of a 26.2-mile run.
Wan said it's his lifestyle now, and he doesn't take for granted he's healthy enough to be an endurance triathlete.
"Someone like me who got injured 30 years ago, I could not be here today if someone did not donate blood," he said.
Wan can swim now, but when he was younger and new to San Francisco from Hong Kong, he thought he was OK in the Pacific Ocean.
"Everything was good until the big tide came, so I was pulled undertow, and I lost consciousness," Wan said.
He said he got a second chance and doesn't forget how his life was saved.
"Why I’m doing what I’m doing," Wan said.
What Wan is doing is donating blood and platelets on a regular basis.
"The real commitment or the constant donation happened in the last seven to eight years, and the moment I realized I could do more," he said.
Even though he was donating blood before his near-death encounter when he was a teenager, Wan, like his Ironman training, ramped it up. He started donating blood, platelets and plasma every couple of months.
"If I can work on the schedule, I can plan accordingly, just like Ironman training for run, swim, bike," he said.
Wan believes because Ironman athletes take care of their bodies, they should give back and help others.
"The most important gift that we have is we have trained so well, so hard, we should celebrate and share our energy, positivity, all the good nutrients and experiences to the people who need it," Wan said.
Wan does most of his donating during the off-season and stops when he is in his peak training before a race. He finished Ironman California, which was his second Ironman race.
KCRA 3 is teaming up with Vitalant for the annual Blood Drive for Life, which for 2024 is taking place on Jan. 3-6 across two locations in Rocklin and Sacramento. Click here to make an appointment.