On paper, David Martin is the oldest competitor in this year's Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene.

Yet, what the paper doesn't tell you is what the 72-year-old has gone through to get here. It doesn't tell you he suffered a heart attack in 2004. It doesn't tell you he was diagnosed with a brain tumor last year, preventing him from competing in the 2010 Coeur d'Alene Ironman.

None of that has stopped him.

Martin's journey started when he finished his first marathon in 2001 at Honolulu.

"I'd never done anything until my first marathon. It was a daunting thing, but afterwards I got hooked and started to train a lot more," Martin said.

Martin went on to compete in three more marathons that year, and the next year competed in five marathons.

It was two years later, while training for a triathlon, that Martin suffered a heart attack.

"I was just so discouraged during my rehabilitation, and seeing all the other people going through it, I didn't want it to be the end, so I set my goals again," Martin said.

He competed in triathlons, marathons and was getting ready for his first Ironman in 2010 when tragedy struck again. Martin was diagnosed with a brain tumor that needed immediate treatment. Martin underwent successful chemotherapy sessions, and set out to accomplish his goals.

Along this journey, with these setbacks, Martin has learned many lessons. One particular lesson took Martin exactly 2 weeks, 4 hours and 16 minutes to learn.

Martin was competing in a marathon at Long Beach, Calif., and was staggering along near the 24-mile marker. Nearly collapsing, a few volunteers helped him to a tent where he ate some oranges and drank some water. When it was determined he couldn't go on, he waited an hour for a truck to pick him up.

"The truck was picking up the garbage left by the marathoners and it picked me up and dropped me off near the end," Martin said. "I finished and they put a medal around my head. I didn't feel like I earned it because I didn't."

A couple weeks later, Martin called his friend and told them to follow him while he finished his last two miles of that marathon.

"I personally think my best marathon time was 2 weeks, 4 hours and 16 minutes, since I learned something. It's all in the journey," Martin said.

While Martin isn't training for the Ironman or triathlons, he can be found volunteering for the Exceeding Expectations Foundation. The EE foundation is a program in San Bernardino, Calif., that is designed to encourage at-risk kids to move their lives in a positive direction, using the sport of triathlon as the catalyst.

One of the kids Martin mentors is a 16-year-old named Josh.

"He mentors me more, than I mentor him I think," Martin said.

Martin said he was proud to be a part of Josh's life, who is a 4.0 student and a talented violinist in the San Bernardino School District's Honor Orchestra as one of its youngest members.

With many hardships faced, and journey's traveled, 140.6 miles stands between Martin becoming an Ironman.

Everyone keeps asking, "What will your time be?"

Martin gives the same answer.

"The number of hours and minutes is irrelevant, getting from point A to point B is my goal," Martin said.