Anna Jarvis ’15, Emma Vadot ’15: When doctors were attending to Candace Gantt after a traumatic bicycle accident in 2005, they never thought that, seven years later, she would be about to partake in one of the most rigorous athletic events in the world.
On October 20th, 2012, Candace Gantt, mother of Carter Gantt ’13 and Morgan Gantt ’19, will participate in an IRONMAN Competition in North Carolina.
The IRONMAN is a world-renowned triathlon race consisting of a 2.4 mile open water swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and finally 26.2 marathon run, for a total of 140.6 miles.
Gantt noted, “It is a grueling task that requires physical and mental strength for anyone.”
Not only is she determined to succeed, but her dedication is also a testament to her incredible recovery after a terrible biking accident seven years ago.
On July 22nd, 2005 just two weeks after Gantt completed her first half IRONMAN in Lake Placid, New York, she was knocked off her bike into a telephone pole on Goshen Road in Newtown Square. “I immediately hit a fence and was thrown back onto the road,” she recounted, “The driver of the truck who hit me didn’t stop.”
Gantt suffered severe injuries from the accident including a broken clavicle, broken facial bones, and a traumatic head injury.
After remaining in a coma for two weeks, the possibility of completing an IRONMAN did not look possible for Gantt. Even walking around the block was difficult.
Gantt recounted, “The doctors told my family I would probably not be able to walk or talk again.”
Ultimately, the painful accident did not pose a big obstacle to Gantt. Due to her strength and faith she was able to overcome her accident, Gantt noted “I was back on my bike, in my basement, after five months.”
Now Gantt exercises 20 hours a week, double the time of the average Episcopal Academy upper school athlete. Gantt trains for her IRONMAN with four days of running, her longest run being 20 miles, three days of swimming, and four days of biking.
Training was her recovery tool. Gantt added, “I attached my recovery to the distance I could run again. Running and biking was the barometer of my healing.”
As her recovery and training continued, Gantt focused on the fact that “The longer and faster I could run/bike the farther away from this nightmare I would be.”
Gantt had hopes of competing in the race many years ago, but due to her accident, she had to readjust.
Gantt clarified what her training would have looked like without the accident: “I think my training would have been the same, but I would have been much younger competing in an IRONMAN- I lost five years of training.”
Gantt has several mantras that she uses to encourage herself during her training. “I alternate between telling myself ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’ (Phillip 4:13) and ‘Never let a day pass that you will have cause to say, I will do better tomorrow,’ (Brigham Young).”

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