COEUR d’ALENE — The steely waters of Lake Coeur d’Alene were choppy Friday morning, cut by cold winds, but the conditions didn’t stop a group of athletes from taking a swim ahead of Sunday’s Ironman 70.3 Coeur d’Alene. 

“It takes a lot to scare us,” Paige Swenson said, smiling as she dried off after her swim.

That’s easy to believe. 

Swenson, a Denver resident, was just 11 years old when she watched the 1983 Ironman World Championship at Kona on TV. The image of triathlete Julie Moss crawling across the finish line after collapsing from dehydration stayed with her. 

“I said to my parents, ‘I’m going to do that one day,’” she said. “They were like, ‘Yeah, right.’ As the typical type-A individual, that was all I needed to hear.” 

Swenson has finished 13 Ironman races, including the World Championship at Kona. 

“That was a 42-year-old dream,” she said. 

She said the friendships she’s formed with other athletes is a big part of what keeps her coming back. 

“It’s a very positive, uplifting experience, even when you’re in hell, even when your body hurts,” she said. 

About 2,000 athletes are expected for the race that includes a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run. 

Ed Sproull, of Sun City West, Ariz., is one of them. 

Sproull is no stranger to Coeur d’Alene. The 70-year-old athlete finished his first Ironman here in 2012 and has raced here many more times, building local friendships along the way. 

His fellow triathletes, including Swenson, said he’s a prime example of the Ironman spirit. 

“I have fun with my old-man act,” Sproull said after his Friday morning swim, making his way up the steps at Independence Point on one organic leg and one prosthetic leg. “My joke is that after the Ironman, I’ll be walking like a guy my age.” 

In 1981, Sproull lost his left leg below the knee in a motorcycle crash that happened while he was racing drunk. That was a low point in his life — but he didn’t hit rock bottom until a decade later, when he received a six-year prison sentence for drug possession. 

While in prison, Sproull met a math professor who helped him to earn an associate’s degree while serving his sentence. 

After he got out of prison, Sproull began working toward a bachelor’s degree. He went on to earn a master’s degree and worked for Microsoft for more than 17 years before retiring. 

He began running as part of a weight loss program and has kept it up ever since. His passion for triathlons grew from there. 

“There’s nothing more fun than running past a two-legged guy,” he said with a laugh. 

His goal for Sunday is a simple one. 

“Survive,” he said. “Just have a good day. I train to stay in shape and stay active and have fun.” 

Courtney Culligan, also of Denver, said she’s always wanted to race in Coeur d’Alene, a city that embraces its Ironman identity. 

She got her start in the sport in her 40s, while raising three boys. 

“I was looking for a niche of my own while I was taking care of the kiddos,” she said. 

Culligan finished her first triathlon in 2011 and has finished more than 10 Ironman 70.3 races. She said she’s a little competitive and aims to finish near the top of her age group, but what keeps her going isn’t the thought of a first-place finish or a personal best. 

For Culligan, Ironman is about the bonds she’s forged with other athletes. 

“It’s the friendships and the camaraderie,” she said. “It brings a lot of adventure into your life.” 

    Ed Sproull packs up after a Friday morning swim at Independence Point.
  

    Gin Fleming will race in Sunday's Ironman 70.3 Coeur d'Alene.