By Daphne Sashin
Presby nurses Theresa Edelman and Gary Samson at the finish line of the Arizona Ironman 70.3 triathlon in 2021
In January 2021, Theresa Edelman, BSN, a medical-surgical nurse in the staffing resource pool at Penn Presbyterian Medical Center (PPMC), needed something to reinvigorate her fitness regimen. Over the previous five years, she had gradually lost more than 100 pounds and overhauled her diet, but working on the COVID-19 unit throughout 2020 had been rough. With her anxiety “through the roof,” there were days she couldn’t think about nutrition or exercise.
Knowing her physical well-being was key to her mental health, she decided she needed a goal to work towards. Never mind the fact that to that point, she had only run one 5K road race without stopping. She picked the hardest physical challenge she could think of: a long-distance triathlon. She chose an Ironman 70.3, also known as a half Ironman, consisting of a consecutive a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bicycle ride, and a 13.1 mile run.
Almost no one wanted to join her. But one person was game: her colleague and fitness mentor Gary Samson, BSN, a critical-care resource pool nurse who had been working out with Edelman since 2018, when she had asked for his help. Samson, who was in the process of establishing a personal training business, loved teaching people about high-intensity interval training, strength training, and eating well. He organized health challenges for Presby employees in 2018 and 2019, and during the pandemic, began hosting free virtual and outdoor group workouts for staff.
Despite all that, he was pretty intimidated by what he had agreed to with Edelman.
“I do not run unless I'm getting chased, and I couldn't swim either. It may have sounded like I was super confident, but really I was like, ‘I might drown,’” Samson laughed. “But I was so inspired by her conviction, I wasn’t going to let the fact that I couldn't swim stop me.”
Over the next 10 months of training, they pushed each other through the rough spots.
Theresa Edelman, bottom right, poses with co-workers on a post-work run last summer
“We refused to let one another quit. I would keep him alive while we swam and he would keep me alive while we ran,” Edelman said. “It was intense; we both committed so much of our time to training together. Some weeks it felt like I saw Gary more than I saw my husband and children.”
Last summer, with a few months to go, Edelman recruited some other nurses from the resource pool to join her on after-work runs and blow off steam after their shifts. A “Presby running club” text thread was formed, with six to 10 nurses often arranging to run together in the evenings. Resource pool nurse Ashley Hathaway, BSN, was one of them. She had gotten to know Edelman during one of Samson’s health challenges and was inspired by her “constant upbeat attitude.”
“I admire her tenacity to achieve her goals and continue to set new ones,” Hathaway said. “She always remains positive, even when you feel you are having a bad day or week. She is there to tell you to keep pushing towards your goals and to not give up.”
The Ironman 70.3 was held in Tempe, Arizona, on Oct. 17, 2021, under blistering sun. The temperature hit 91 degrees.
“Gary and I both had points that we wanted to quit, but we kept each other going when we felt like we couldn’t do any more and made it to the finish line,” Edelman said. “After we finished, I think our minds and bodies were both in shock. It took a while to sink in.”
Once they conquered the triathlon, Edelman and Samson set new goals. He continued growing his personal training business, Philly Personal Fitness, and is taking further steps towards acquiring a larger space for it; she plans to start studying for her personal training certification so she can work with clients at his gym. Meanwhile, the Presby running club morphed into a Peloton cycling club during the winter months and now has become a group for anyone interested in fitness. As of July, there were about 36 staff on the text chat, including staff outside the resource pool.
“Theresa and Gary never get tired of answering countless fitness and nutrition questions from colleagues,” said Jaclyn D'Auria-Cesare, BSN, chair of the resource pool. “My hope is that they continue to bring fitness inspiration to our organization.”
Seeing the impact that they’ve had on others has been gratifying, Edelman and Samson say.
“Motivating other people and helping other people is a large part of what drives both of us,” Edelman said. “I tell people, ‘You can change your story. You can transform your life.’ Everyone is capable of crushing their goals. Everyone is deserving of happiness and good health.”