The image of 33-year-old Douglas Mogle bounding out of the surf in a wetsuit a few weeks ago doesn’t belie the fact that just two years ago he suffered a cardiac arrest while tailgating at a Notre Dame football game. The fourth-grade teacher at Buckhead’s Lovett School was unresponsive for 52 minutes and shocked 19 times before he bounced back. He spent two weeks in a Chicago hospital where doctors decided he wouldn’t need a heart transplant. But six months later, another attack put him in Northside Hospital where doctors installed a pacemaker.
“I was so upset after the heart attack that I developed a stress disorder,” said Mogle. “I was thankful to be alive, but it wasn’t an easy transition. I had to learn how to come to terms with it.”
The experience forced Mogle to recreate his lifestyle. After starting an exercise regime, trying different diets and reading an assortment of books, Mogle discovered CNN’s Fit Nation, a program that invites the public to submit short videos explaining why they want to be part of a triathlon team. There was a race coming up in California, and Mogle figured being part of the project would provide the motivation he needed to get in shape. Without telling anyone, he submitted a short biographical film.
“They choose six people, three men and three women, from all over the country, and I was one of them,” said Mogle. “Our stories were combinations of weight loss and medical issues.”
Mogle has just seven months to prepare for the September event. His intense training paid off: A few weeks ago, it took him just two hours and 18 minutes to finish a swim in the Pacific, a bike ride up and down the coastal highway and a run through Malibu.
“It was awesome!” said Mogle. “I had a goal in mind for each sport, and I beat each one, so I was very happy to finish ahead of what I wanted to do.”
Mogle also finished first among his fellow Fit Nation competitors, despite a rough start in choppy seas and an uncooperative shoelace during the run. The experience has given the Canton resident a new outlook.
“At the end of September, I did a 56-mile bike race in Augusta,” he said. “I’ve pinpointed more regional races I’d like to do in the future. Right now, it’s the ‘off’ season, and I’ve scaled back a bit, but I do have goals in mind.”
Mogle is even toying with taking on a half Ironman contest.
“When I look back to when I first met the team at the end of January, I realize now how dysfunctional we were in regards to swimming, biking and running and living a life as an athlete,” he said. “Now, I’ve gotten more comfortable with how far I can push myself. I know my body and what I’m capable of. If nothing else, I’ve gained a lot of experience. To see how far I’ve come it’s quite remarkable.”
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