AN UNLIKELY IRONMAN ALUM OVERCOMES PARALYZING ACCIDENT TO COMPETE IN KONA BY LIZ KEMMERY ’04
“If he can do it, so can I,” Rodger Krause ’80 said half jokingly throughout the interview. He said it lightly with a chuckle, but he also meant it. That simple sentence wasn’t just Rodger’s competitive nature talking, it was a reflection of his determination to survive and succeed after a biking accident changed his life in a split second. And it’s what led him to an unlikely IRONMAN victory in Kona, Hawaii, at 61 years old. Rodger always was competitive. A high school swimmer and golfer, he described himself as a versatile and well-rounded athlete. While attending Shippensburg, he played golf for the university. He loved the sport but found his success became 22
SHIPPENSBURG UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE
stagnant. “I kept playing golf in college, but I wasn’t improving, and it was frustrating,” he said. “In the meantime, I started to run, swim, and bike.” Bob Krause ’82, Rodger’s brother, was living in Baltimore at the time and began training for triathlons. Bob took Rodger on
a bike ride, and Rodger fell in love with the feeling of the wind on his back. “I thought, if Bob can do this, so can I.” The agility, speed, and endurance hooked him. Rodger was made for triathlons. He began racing and made friends through the sport.
