Brouhard, who was previously diagnosed with breast cancer, was recovering from chemotherapy when she applied to take part in the challenge. Since that time, she has trained on an almost daily basis, visited Texas and New York, and met with professional athletes including Lance Armstrong, the professional cyclist who won the Tour de France seven times.
The triathlon included a mile-long swim in the Hudson River, a 25-mile bicycle ride along the West End Highway and a 6-mile run in Central Park.
Brouhard thought the swim would be her weakest activity, but it turned out to be her favorite part of the race.
“The Hudson wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be,” Brouhard said. “It was really salty.”
Instead, the run, which was the last leg of the race, was particularly difficult because it was so hilly. But Brouhard, who often trains with her family members, finished first out of the other five participants in the challenge.
She finished slightly behind Dr. Sanjay Gupta, a CNN medical correspondent who helped start the Fit Nation program.
“I beat him out of the water but he did well on the bike ride and the run,” Brouhard said.
Matt Sloane, a producer for the Fit Nation show, said the segment is scheduled to air on CNN at 7:30 a.m. today, July 24, and Sunday, July 25.
With the support of her friends and family, Brouhard said she put on muscle and lost 20 pounds since she started. The event took place on her 18th wedding anniversary, and she joked that she was able to give her husband a fit and healthy wife as a present.
Battling a slight cold, Brouhard said she also took an unfortunate souvenir home from her trip.
“I do have a little residual Hudson in my chest I think,” she joked.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0355 or msanctis@coxohio.com.
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