Blood Tribe's 1st Ironman triathlete says physical activity is a 'form of healing'

The Blood Tribe (Kainai Nation) in southern Alberta is celebrating a member's recent Ironman triathlon success in Arizona. 

Since Troy Manyfingers crossed the finish line in Arizona in November, he said he's been overwhelmed by the support and celebrations.

When he returned to work, Manyfingers said his boss had set up a special parking spot reserved for "Ironman," and he was given a free six-month gym pass for the community recreation facility. 

Manyfingers, 51, said he hopes his success shows others what's possible for themselves. 

"First Nations people, we tend to doubt ourselves," he said.

"We just need to discover that we can do anything."

As a client case co-ordinator at the Blood Tribe Wellness Centre, Manyfingers said he tries to share the lessons he's learned with people seeking help. 

"All physical activity is a form of healing for myself. You know, healthy body, healthy mind," he said.

He said his decades-long journey toward completing an Ironman triathlon is a good example. It began with a suggestion in high school from a teacher, but Manyfingers didn't take the plunge into triathlon, where competitors complete a swim, bike and run, for many years. 

In the meantime, he said, he dealt with alcoholism for 22 years before he quit drinking at age 37.

He said running has been key to maintaining his sobriety.

"I didn't know how to cope with the new life that I had found for myself and my family," he said. 

"So I started to exercise."

String of 'bad luck' 

Randy Moroz said he and his wife Sue met Manyfingers about 20 years ago when they were working timing races and Manyfingers brought people into Lethbridge to take part. 

Moroz said it was "awesome" to finally see Manyfingers achieve his dream. 

"He's had such bad luck," Moroz said.

"We're just proud that he accomplished what he set out to do."

Manyfingers's string of bad luck began back in 2014 when he first planned to complete an Ironman triathlon in California. An Ironman triathlon includes a 3.9 km swim, 180.2 km bike ride and 42.2 km run for a total of 226.3 km.

Just as he was about to enter the water, the race was cancelled due to wildfires, he said. 

The next year a knee injury just two weeks before the race sidelined him again. Then after taking a couple years off, Manyfingers decided to try again — only for wildfires in B.C. to stop the race.

"Every single time was disappointing, because the training takes a lot out of you, away from family, friends," he said. 

Then "a mental mistake" during a race derailed his hopes once again in 2022. 

Manyfingers said he placed himself too far back from the leaders for the swimming section and ended up missing the cut-off time to begin running (his best event) by just seven minutes. 

Like other supporters, Moroz said he and his wife were following Manyfingers's Arizona race closely online. 

As a longtime runner and race timer, Moroz said southern Alberta is a good training environment for runners because of the high altitude and strong winds. 

Second wind

That training — and support from friends and family — came in handy during the Arizona Ironman, when the winds gusted up to 80 km/h and Manyfingers said he wasn't sure he would make it. 

"Whether it be from my friends, my relations, my brothers that have passed … or all the prayers from back home, I just got like a second wind and I felt strong," he said.

While he describes his wife as his "number one supporter," Manyfingers said he was also inspired by a cousin who recently died who told him how proud he was to see him take on the challenge. 

Finishing the race for his cousin and others gave him the push he needed to keep going, he said. 

"I just wanted to show our people, not only from here but from all over, that we have it in us to succeed."

For the past several years, Manyfingers was trying to share his joy in running with his community. He organizes "unique" races near his home in Standoff, Alta., which Moroz and his wife time. 

"He puts them on free of charge, then he supplies a lunch for everybody," Moroz said. 

"It's something that just doesn't happen — to put on a free race like that."

His recent success had a few community members talking about Manyfingers receiving a headdress on the community Facebook page. In fact, members of his wife's family gave him a headdress to celebrate his sobriety after his first half Ironman in 2013. Manyfingers keeps it in a protective case at his home.

But he said he needed to complete a full-length Ironman race before he "felt deserving" of it. 

"It was just something personally I had to do," he said. 

This Christmas they plan to do a ceremony and officially transfer the headdress to him, Manyfingers said.