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Now she competes in half Ironmans to help eradicate polio, the disease that left her without the use of her legs.

Name: Minda Dentler Age: 44 Hometown: Scottsdale, Arizona Occupation: Program Manager Time Cycling: 19 years Reason for Cycling: It’s my favorite discipline of the triathlon. I enjoy going fast. My record is going 41 mph on my handcycle.

I was born in India and contracted polio as an infant that left me paralyzed from the hips down. I was adopted by an American family at the age of 3 and moved to Spokane, Washington, where I received the medical care necessary to be able to walk with leg braces and crutches.

My family is very athletic, and I always participated from the sidelines, handing out water or cheering for my siblings. I wanted to be able to compete like them, but I didn’t know how. It wasn’t until I moved to New York City and found Achilles International, an organization that offers athletic programs for people with disabilities, that I was able to be athletic, too.

In 2005, while living in NYC, I was introduced to the sport of handcycling by joining Achilles International. At my first practice, the founder loaned me a handcycle and when I took it for a spin, the wind blew in my hair, and I was hooked. It was the first time I could go fast, and I loved it.

Early on during my participation with Achilles International, I was challenged to do the New York City Marathon in my handcycle. I had never done anything athletic before and I blindly accepted the challenge. For the next six months, I trained twice a week on a loaner handcycle with other disabled athletes in Central Park. In November 2005, I completed the 26.2 miles through New York City.

In 2007, I watched my friend, a wheelchair athlete, finish the New York City Triathlon. I was inspired and I signed up for the triathlon for the next year. I also signed up for swimming lessons, as I didn’t know how to swim. I received a racing wheelchair from the Challenged Athletes Foundation and learned how to run, too.

I completed my first NYC Triathlon in the summer of 2008. I joined a triathlon club at Asphalt Green the following year and I started training with other like-minded athletes who inspired me to train for longer-distance triathlons. From there, I started competing in Ironmans. I did my first Ironman in Louisville in 2012, and six weeks later, in 2013, I became the first female wheelchair athlete to complete the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii.

After completing the Ironman World Championship and a few other full Ironman triathlons, I decided to step down in distance and focus on Ironman 70.3 (a.k.a. half Ironmans). This allowed for a more manageable training schedule around my full-time job and family responsibilities.

I created my own challenge in 2018 of completing six half Ironman races on six continents, which I accomplished in September 2022, including: Muncie 70.3 (North America), Berlin 70.3 (Europe), Dubai 70.3 (Asia), Cartagena 70.3 (South America), Marrakech 70.3 (Africa), and Western Sydney 70.3 (Australia). It gave me a goal to train for different races on my Carbonbike handcycle, and it was an excuse for my family and me to see different parts of the world.

For my most recent half Ironman in Western Australia, I cycled three times a week on my indoor trainer, mixing strength, interval, and endurance rides.

I do 90% of my cycling training indoors. Because my handcycle is so low to the ground, it is unsafe for me to ride alone outside. Sometimes my husband will ride with me on a quiet highway with a large shoulder near Fountain Hills, Arizona. I also swim at Life Time Scottsdale two times a week and push my racing wheelchair (run) two times a week.

Today, I continue my polio advocacy efforts on and off the course. As an endurance athlete and speaker, I am committed to inspiring people with and without disabilities to set and achieve their goals. I was a TED Speaker and have been featured on CNN, PBS, and Glamour. And I have written for TIME and LA Times advocating for the eradication of polio, the disease that has impacted me. Recently, I spoke at a polio pledging event at the World Health Summit in Berlin, where global leaders pledged $2.6 billion to fund efforts to end polio.

The reality is, triathlons opened up a whole new world for me. I enjoy the training, seeing incremental improvements and feeling fit. I like working toward a personal goal and being a part of a community.

Crossing the Ironman World Championship finish line as the first female wheelchair athlete gave me a platform to share my story as an athlete with a disability and raise awareness for causes that I care about, like ending polio. It’s never too late to start! I learned how to swim, bike, and run in my 30s.

Coaches gave me the appropriate training plan for my body to get me to race day fit and ready. Teams provided me an opportunity to train with and learn from others and to have fun.

I have tried different nutrition products in training (especially during my long workouts) to identify which worked for me and used them in races. Especially with Ironman-distance races, I had to take in enough calories at the right times to have enough energy for 13+ hours of sustained effort.

As a wheelchair athlete, I do all the triathlon disciplines with only the use of my arms. I have to be careful to take appropriate rest to recover from long workouts. Sometimes that means dropping a workout in the week, if my arms and shoulders need extra time to recover.

→ Garmin Edge 530: I’m a data geek. It’s a great bike computer, which gives me real-time data on my cycling performance. By capturing loads of workout data, I can track and analyze my progress over time.

→ Wahoo Kickr: This bike trainer allows me to safely and effectively do cycling workouts indoors. It also connects to online platforms like Zwift and any Ant+ enabled bike computer.

→ Shimano Electronic Shifter: Electronic shifting is a game changer! Being able to shift smoothly and with precision allows me to keep my cadence and go faster on the flats, and up and down hills.

→ Continental Grand Prix 5000 Performance Road Bike Tire: I’ve ridden for 15+ years and am a Continental tire fan. I find these tires to be the most durable ones on all types of road and weather conditions. I use Continental tires for my handcycle and racing wheelchair.

We want to hear how cycling changed you! Send your story and submit your photos to us via this web form. We’ll pick one each week to highlight on the site.

Emily Shiffer is a freelance health and wellness writer living in Pennsylvania. 

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