Jeremy Cornman is traveling across the country and then some to compete in the grueling Ironman Triathlon competition that he knows he cannot win.

The reason he is going is because there is a bigger competition out there and Cornman believes winning that is more attainable.

Cornman will rely on strength, perseverance and hope in the Ironman, the same thing that 22-year-old Ryan Ballou relies on everyday from his wheelchair in Pittsburgh.

Cornman, a Leetsdale resident and 1997 Quaker Valley High graduate, has qualified for the Ironman Triathlon that will take place this weekend in Kona, Hawaii. He is enduring countless hours of training, a major time commitment and financial burden to compete in this event to help raise awareness for BallouSkies, a charity started to benefit Ryan Ballou, an Avonworth High School graduate and someone who has been afflicted with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy since birth.

Racing in what many consider the most grueling physical challenge, athletes need to literally use virtually every muscle in their body to finish the 2.4-mile swim in the Pacific Ocean, 112-mile bicycle ride and the 26-mile 385-yard marathon run. Cornman is attempting to raise awareness for DMD, a degenerative muscle disorder that affects all muscles within the body.

While Cornman will be swimming, biking and running, those with DMD are generally unable to even walk on their own. Ryan Ballou has been in a wheelchair since his junior year at Avonworth when he broke his leg on the last day of school.

"What Jeremy is going to go through is mental and physical," said Ryan's father, Ty Ballou, who started the charity dedicated for his son's care.

"Ryan certainly has to go through physical challenges everyday but he also has to mentally fight through it every day. He has to get up every day and fight his normal fights, knowing he can't walk, not knowing if he has a week left, or two weeks or two years. The reality is right there."

After graduating from Avonworth in 2006, Ryan Ballou enrolled at Edinboro University, where he completed two years of school. He is now taking classes at CCAC and working part-time at a Target department store.

Ty Ballou has competed in triathlons himself and he knows what Cornman will endure in Hawaii.

"Sometimes you want to quit, you just want to stop," Ty Ballou said. "You can't stop; you have to push forward. There is certainly a direct correlation to what Jeremy and Ryan are doing. Ryan is the furthest thing from a triathlete but he knows what it's like to go through what Jeremy does."

With raised awareness and funds for further studies Cornman and Ballou believe they can help people afflicted with DMD live longer until a cure can be found. The life expectancy for people who afflicted with the disorder, which only affects males, is the early 20s.

Ty Ballou met Cornman at the Sewickley YMCA. Knowing of Cornman's competitions in various triathlons, Ty Ballou decided to throw out the idea of joining BallouSkies. Cornman accepted with open arms.

The competition at the Ironman in Kona, "the Super Bowl of Triathlons," is extremely brutal but Cornman has more than held his own in qualifiers. He participated in an Ironman qualifier in Lake Placid, N.Y. He traveled there not expecting to qualify because of the limited spaces avialable.

Cornman was actually planning on qualifying at a later triathlon but at Lake Placid, Cornman, an amateur, outraced professionals and earned a coveted invite to the Ironman.

"Jeremy is an athlete, I am just an older guy who likes to compete in these," Ty Ballou said. "Jeremy is such an elite athlete. For him to qualify for Kona, going against professionals, it is just mind-boggling.

"When I asked him about the charity, he said he would love to do this. I thought this is the guy who would really elevate things. If there is someone I want to be the face of the charity, I want it to be him."

At Quaker Valley Cornman was a four-year letter-winner on the swim team. He originally got involved with triathlons at Penn State where his roommate was part of the triathlon club. Cornman completed his first race in 2000 and has been hooked every since.

"To be honest I didn't really expect to qualify for Hawaii," Cornman said. "There were not as many qualifying spots available and I figured it would be a long shot."

Yesterday, Cornman took off for Houston where he will take a connecting flight to Honolulu before flying to Kona. He had hoped to get there a week in advance to get acclimated to the climate, but work constraints prevented him from doing that.

Cornman works at National Rehab Equipment in Moon. He trains 15 hours a week but peaks at around 25 hours per week as races approach.

"You want to be as consistent as possible over the three sports, you have to get to the point where you can swim, run and bike efficiently," Cornman said.

"You have to build your endurance and also throw in more intense efforts to stimulate your speed and racing ability."

Cornman is aiming for a time below 10 hours at the Ironman. He understands that the winner will likely clock in around the eight-hour mark. The last four years the winning time was less than 8:20.

"I don't have delusions that I am going to win or anything," Cornman said. "In a triathlon you are racing against yourself. My primary goal is to finish the race as strongly as possible and get the name of BallouSkies out there. I will certainly be drawing inspiration from the children whom the charity is meant to help.

To make a donation to Ballou Skies or for more information, contact Ty Ballou at (412) 787-8800 or visit www.BallouSkies.com.

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