Ironman Profiles: Northwest High School wrestling coach using Ironman to teach students valuable lesson

Allen tries to get his athletes to understand the power of hard work, both on and off the mat. Witnessing the drive of Ironman competitors firsthand, he says, is one of his best tools for motivation.

Fundraising opportunities for high school athletics are rarely exciting. A car wash here, a bake sale there; not a lot of room for learning or growth. It's why Lee Allen, the wrestling coach for Northwest High School in Dalton, Georgia, decided to do something different.

This will be Allen's third year as a volunteer captain for Chattanooga's Ironman. This year, he'll be heading up the male transition tent, where athletes change, apply sunscreen, grab a snack and whatever else they need between events. Aided by roughly 25 of his wrestlers and their families, he will ensure that every male competitor who comes through the tent has everything he needs to continue - changing out of wet clothes after the swim portion, salt tablets and food to refuel after the cycling portion, basic first aid equipment, you name it.

Allen says it gives his wrestlers a firsthand chance to witness the incredible endurance the event necessitates in its competitors - and demonstrates that drive can be enough. What was most eye-opening for Allen during that first event in 2014 was the sheer diversity of the competitors in the race.

"You saw young and old guys running together and people that didn't look in shape right in the mix with athletic folks," he says. "It's what I try to teach my kids. If you put your mind to something, anyone can accomplish amazing things."

In exchange for giving up a valuable Sunday to assist borderline-delirious athletes, Allen and his team, along with the dozens of other groups and organizations volunteering in the race, receive funds through the Ironman's grant system. Allen estimates his team makes around $600-$700 each year, a little over what they'd normally get from a car wash.

But the money isn't why they do it.

"I wanted to get hands-on and really do something," Allen says. "And I think it's really made a difference. I can see the pride they take in helping people locally, making it possible for folks to achieve something really difficult."

He draws parallels between his students' own work ethic and that of Ironman competitors. Everyone knows that 140.6 miles is a long distance. But actually being a part of that, offering encouragement, water and salt tablets to athletes who have pushed themselves to the peak of exhaustion and are then headed into a full marathon, makes for a better understanding of just what it takes to travel that distance. It helps build the mental toughness that's mandatory for his students' own competitions, he says.

Allen doesn't just see changes in his students, either. He sees them in himself.

The first year he captained a team of over 40 volunteers. The pressure to ensure that everything went smoothly, as well as serve as a leader to his team, offered a valuable lesson.

"So many people showed up to help the community, and they entrusted so much responsibility in me. It's definitely given me perspective that's made me a better teacher and coach," he says.

With a laugh, Allen admits he's not so sure about competing himself. A full-time teacher, coach and soon-to-be-father, he's got a full plate as it is. He hasn't ruled it out, though.

"It's important to practice what you preach," Allen says. "If I expect them to work hard, I gotta roll up my sleeves too."