Affectionately known as the ‘Big Unit’ due to his 6ft 4in stature, Sam Long's route into triathlon has been far from conventional. Growing up, the American enjoyed a huge range of sports, but at the age of 18 he tore his MCL (medial collateral ligament) in a skiing accident.
On the road to recovery, he began cycling on a stationary bike, swimming with a pull buoy and then running. With the first Ironman Boulder set to take place in his hometown that year (2014), he thought it sounded like a perfect rite of passage for graduating high school. He defied debutant expectations, finishing first in his age-group.
Since then,
