At the age of 12 in junior high school, at her 1st track meet, Jill Kuhn was hit in the head with a shot put that crushed her skull. The first facility couldn’t treat her injury properly, so she was airlifted to a trauma center where they performed 2 surgeries on her brain to remove a blood clot. Though Jill had to wear a helmet for a year for protection, she convinced her parents and doctors to allow her to go back to school in just two weeks! I believe this is the moment where "Iron Will, Iron Jill" was born—strong, determined, and resilient!

After her 4th boy was born, Jill realized she needed something for herself and found JOY in running, discovering that movement was her therapy. Completing her 1st marathon in Houston was a milestone and Jill came to realize how much she loved competing. When her boys needed swimming lessons, she joined in and learned to swim at the age of 38 and her Ironman dream was born.

Since her 2nd pregnancy, Jill had been struggling with autoimmune ailments, but it took 7 long years to finally correctly diagnose her with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). During training for her 1st Ironman, Jill suffered an avulsion fracture of her ankle, bouts of UTI’s, and pneumonia—all from managing medications and a compromised immune system. Despite the odds being heavily stacked against her, Jill tapped into the tremendous support from her family and friends and her mindset/mantra: I can. I will.

Crossing that @ironmantri finish line taught Jill she was stronger than she could’ve ever imagined and is teaching her boys how to keep going and be resilient in life!

"As long as I am capable I will continue to do so. I do not take for granted that movement is a gift. And despite any challenges I may have, as painful as it can be, I CAN and so I WILL. And I will do so with gratitude."

Jill is an RA Warrior, Ironman, and Ultra runner who INSPIRES and I hope you all enjoy this conversation as much as we did!

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Connect With Jill:

Instagram: @ironwillironjill

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ironwillironjill

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Website: https://ronrunsnyc.com

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