Mario Mejia: The Road to Ironman

Hearts of Empowerment & Mario Mejia partnered together in order to shed light on his life journey and help bring awareness to our organization. Last year, Mario completed the half Ironman. This year, he represented us at the full 2020 IronMan in Cozumel, Mexico.

Mario Mejia: Road To Ironman

Take a listen to our dear friend, Mario, as he recounts his journey of training for and competing in the 2020 Ironman Triathlon in Cozumel Mexico. Mario’s story is one of struggle, perseverance, and triumph. We are so moved by his ability to break down life’s obstacles and succeed despite all odds.

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Mario Mejia:

Like many of us, Mario Mejia comes from a family of immigrants who sacrificed everything they had in pursuit of the American Dream. Having no formal education and very few possessions, his parents took on the journey of migrating from Guatemala and Mexico, in order to provide their children the promise of opportunity. As a first generation Hispanic American, Mario has endured many hardships in pursuit of his family dreams but never failing to smile through it all. Recently, Mario found his love and passion for competitive running which has brought new life to him. What started as a hobby has now become a part of his daily life.

On November 22, 2020 Mario will be competing in the IRONMAN Triathlon in Cozumel, Mexico. In honor of his family, Mario is now training for his participation in the 140 mile triathlon to show the world that no matter what adversity you may come across, you can fight your way through and accomplish your dreams.

Mario’s Motivation:

Mario can still remember the long nights of sleeping in his father's mechanic shop and not having much to show for it. When his family first immigrated to the United States, his father opened an automobile repair shop in order to support them. With very little financial stability, his family was forced to live at the shop. Eventually the business brought success and the Mejia family accomplished their dream of buying a home.

As time proceeded, Mario would face many challenges that would question his faith and aspirations of being great. A family divorce nearly left his father and brothers homeless. They constantly moved from city to city in pursuit of finding a warm place to sleep. One day during this tumultuous period in Mario’s life, he decided it was time for change. Mario’s self-assigned mission was to work his family out of homelessness.

Through hard work and dedication, Mario worked tirelessly to support himself through college at Virginia Commonwealth University. Nothing was going to stop him from getting his education in order to help support his father and younger brother.

Unfortunately, tragedy would strike again. One September afternoon, he received an unexpected grievous phone call – his father was dying. Mario rushed to his father’s side where he and his father recounted their dreams together. It was then that Mario promised to become the man his father wanted him to be. His father's passing left a large hole in his heart which led to him succumbing to alcohol. Eventually, he fully understood the gravity of his promise and decided to be the man his father wanted him to be. That’s when he decided to change his life.

Mario’s new found love for competitive running has allowed him to realize the purpose of his life. He aspires to be a motivational speaker and role model to help young adults overcome adversity and achieve their dreams. It is why he has partnered with Hearts of Empowerment to showcase the world that no matter what your circumstances may be, keep running towards your goals - they will come to life if you are determined.

Ironman: Cozumel, Mexico

November, 2020

The Ironman Triathlon is a long distance triathlon that consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bicycle ride and a 26.2 mile marathon run, raced in that order. It is considered to be one of the most difficult one-day sporting events across the entire world.

Ironman Cozumel is taking place on November 22, 2020 in Cozumel, Mexico. It offers 40 qualifying slots to the 2021 IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

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