COEUR d'ALENE - A veteran of 17 Ironman triathlons, Shawn Burke has a few good stories to tell.

He recalled the 1991 World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, his first trip to the biggest Ironman of them all.

"That was a tough race," the 50-year-old said. "I would say, that was probably the toughest race."

On a training swim in the Pacific Ocean, Burke was stung by a jellyfish - a highly unpleasant sensation. On race day, he became seasick as he battled big waves. Then, he fought brutal headwinds on the bike course.

The worst of it, though, was probably the intense heat: 140 degrees on the famous Hawaiian lava fields.

"They were actually frying eggs," Burke remembered.

Another triathlon tale: His worst crash in Penticton, British Columbia, at Ironman Canada. Biking downhill at 43 mph, Burke was clipped by another racer and tumbled to the ground. His helmet was shattered, his body scraped and scarred.

Race officials told him to quit, to head for the medical tent.

Burke kept going.

"I actually finished the race, and then went straight to the medical tent, and then they sent me to the hospital," he said. "A lot of that had to do with my military toughness."

Sitting on a park bench near Independence Point, Burke - a sandy-haired, solidly-built triathlete who lives in Post Falls - told these stories on Saturday morning. A few yards away, Lake Coeur d'Alene was in a choppy mood, its wind-tossed breakers crashing loudly on the beach.

Today Burke will swim 2.4 miles in those same waters, competing in his fourth Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene. It will be his 18th Ironman overall.

His best Coeur d'Alene time is 11:03, but he's looking for a better time in 2011.

"Even though I'm getting older, I'm hoping to get faster," he said. "I think I'm training smarter this year. I'm coming back, hopefully, with a vengeance."

A lifelong athlete, Burke wrestled at Eastern Washington University and the University of Washington. He also served his country as an Army Ranger, and held a spot for several years on the All-Army wrestling squad.

Burke started racing triathlons in the late 80s. Intrigued by the challenge of long-distance swimming, biking and running, he completed his first Ironman at the 1989 Ironman Canada in Penticton, a grueling race on a scenic course.

"It was harder than I expected," he said. "So that made me want to conquer it even more. I knew that if I put the time and effort into it, I would grow to like it."

Thus began an Ironman career that would span nearly two decades - and he's still not slowing down.

"It's definitely a passion of mine," Burke said. "It's something I enjoy doing."

With all those miles behind him, he is now passing on his Ironman expertise. Burke is a physical therapist assistant at Kootenai Medical Center, where he directs a kids triathlon every fall. He is also a certified personal trainer at UAim High Fitness in Coeur d'Alene.

Four of his trainees will compete in today's race.

"He's my psychiatrist, my doctor, my physical therapist and most of all, he's my friend," said Tom Aylward, 62, of Spirit Lake. "He just does his job with a smile."

Aylward has trained with Burke for about two years. Under the Ironman's firm tutelage, he lost 82 pounds.

"He was able to be my lifesaver," Aylward said. "I'll never be able to thank him enough. I've just never met anybody like him."

The first-time Ironman participant will plunge into Lake Coeur d'Alene this morning. He is determined to finish the race, come what may.

"Shawn wouldn't put me out there tomorrow if I couldn't make it," he said.

Burke draws his own inspiration from the people he trains every day. What keeps him going, he explained, is giving back to those around him.

"I enjoy helping people reach their goals," he said. "They've worked hard, and it's been fun, and we've built a strong relationship."