Medical student overcame heart condition to compete in upcoming Half Ironman World Championship in France

Alexander Gasper is balancing the demands of medical school while pursuing his dream of competing at one of the highest levels of triathlon. The Herbert Wertheim College of Medicine student recently qualified for the 2026 Ironman 70.3 World Championship in France. The grueling race combines 70.3 miles of swimming, biking and running, and only about 1% of hopefuls in qualifying races worldwide make the cut.

“It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” says Gasper, noting that the hectic pace of residency will make it hard to pursue races at this level in the years ahead.

Growing up, Gasper played multiple sports and began racing by age six, learning to ride a bike without training wheels just weeks before his first triathlon. But in the years that followed, he began experiencing episodes of rapid, irregular heartbeats. “I would often run to my mom telling her that my heart was racing and that something felt wrong,” Gasper says.

In fifth grade, he was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a rare heart rhythm disorder in which extra electrical pathways cause dangerously fast heartbeats. Without treatment, he could experience serious episodes or even heart failture triggered by physical activity, stimulants or stressful situations. He underwent a minimally invasive procedure to eliminate two abnormal pathways disrupting his heart rhythm. Since then, he has remained healthy. Gasper credits the experience with sparking his interest in medicine and says it continues to motivate him today.

“Looking back, it’s hard to believe the same kid who worried in the cardiologist’s office about whether he could play sports now competes in Ironman races, trains through medical school and shares his journey through triathlon,” he says.

Gasper went on to focus on baseball in college, but after graduation, he felt something was missing. Inspired by a friend’s Ironman journey, he returned to triathlons nearly two decades after he first started. “It took time to build endurance, but through it, I found a new passion,” he says.

Juggling lectures, labs and studying with 12–20 hours of weekly training require a strict routine. Gasper starts his day early, waking between 4:45 and 5:15 a.m. for his first workout. His days are filled with classes and academic commitments, often capped off by a run or swim. He maximizes his time using an indoor training bike while reviewing digital flashcards, a method he calls his ‘biggest hack’ for combining training and studying.

His dedication means early mornings, long hours and sometimes missing out on social events. However, Gasper views these sacrifices as reminders of the opportunities he has. “I’m fortunate to pursue two dreams,” says Gasper. “It’s all worth it if it means I’m alive, healthy and able to do what I love.”

Both medicine and triathlon require resilience, discipline and the ability to persevere when things get tough. “You put in the work day after day, stay focused on the bigger picture and remember why you started,” says Gasper. Medical school has taught him to push through mental fatigue, while triathlon has instilled in him the ability to stay calm under pressure and keep moving forward despite exhaustion. Both experiences have equipped him to embrace challenges, manage his time and build the consistency that earns trust. “You can’t lose if you keep showing up.”