The IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon includes a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run. Completed in succession, it requires grit, endurance, and an unshakable belief that anything is possible.
Stephanie “Steph” Cummings, the records and service specialist in Geisel School of Medicine’s Registrar’s Office, embodies that belief. On November 8, she will be competing in her tenth IRONMAN 70.3 at the World Championships in Marbella, Spain—a milestone that reflects not only her athletic discipline, but also her resilience and growth.
From Curiosity to Commitment
Athletic and tenacious, Cummings has always been drawn to a challenge. In her first year at Dartmouth, she plunged into the icy water of Occom Pond during Winter Carnival when the temperature was below zero and the pond needed to be stirred to prevent it from freezing—just to prove she could.
Several years later, while sitting around a summer campfire with friends, she heard about the IRONMAN 70.3 triathlon. Her interest piqued, she looked up the details when she got home and decided to give it a go.
But there were two problems.
An avid runner, she was neither a swimmer nor a cyclist. Undaunted, Cummings bought a bike and started riding. But learning to swim, which was well beyond her comfort zone, proved challenging. “My first time in the pool was overwhelming,” she says. “I wanted to quit—I didn’t know if I could go on.”
Instead, she hired a coach and committed to the process. “Learning to swim was the first time I realized I could push past fear and that lesson has stayed with me.”
Running with the Dogs
Cummings grew up in the United Kingdom on a 400-acre Welsh farm with 1,500 sheep, 40 cows, and a pack of working border collies.
“I was extremely active. I loved being outdoors, having fun running around with the animals, and helping on the farm,” she says.
Her parents relied on four-wheelers to get around the farm—wherever they went, the dogs followed. “My brother would ride a four-wheeler with my dad, but I was always running with the dogs.”
Her childhood on the farm taught her endurance and independence early on. “I was determined and fearless” she says. “I competed in sports from an early age; I was naturally good. Running became the constant that connected it all.”
The Thread Holding Everything Together
After earning her teaching degree, Cummings left Wales for a job in the U.S. as an au pair and moved to Hanover where she met her now ex-husband. They married in Wales, and when she returned to the U.S. six months later, she started working at Dartmouth. In 2020, she joined the team in Geisel’s Registrar’s Office.
While her troubled marriage began falling apart, taking a toll on her self-esteem, running became the thread holding her life together.
“Running is liberating. When life gets hard, running reminds me I can still move forward,” she says.
Cummings is open about her mental health journey. “During some of the darkest moments of my life, I reached points where I no longer wanted to be here,” she says quietly. “But something inside me, maybe the same stubborn spark that’s always pushed me to keep going, refused to give up. Running and training became the lifeline that pulled me back.”
From there, she kept pushing her limits: several half marathons, an Olympic short-course triathlon in 2022, and her first IRONMAN 70.3 soon after. She has since completed eight more.
Her love of challenge continued to grow. In early 2023, she virtually climbed Mt. Everest on her bike in a single session. “It took me 12 hours and 52 minutes to reach 29,032 feet of elevation gain, which I pushed to 30,000 feet, just because,” she laughs. She’s also tackled the 4x4x48 challenge—running four miles every four hours for 48 hours straight. She also conquered the grueling 100x100 swim, completing 100 repetitions of 100 meters or yards (depending on the pool). A feat that still fills her with pride.
For Cummings, each achievement is more than a distance. It is a testament to the discipline built over early mornings, busy evenings, quiet determination, and a deep respect for the sport. Finishing isn’t just an athletic milestone: it is proof of how far endurance and belief can take you.
Stephanie Cummings Photo Gallery (Images by Rob Strong):
Rising Strong
Cummings trains with Northeast Multisport, a USAT registered triathlon club, joining teammates for 5:30 a.m. virtual rides before work three days a week. “There’s something powerful about starting the day with people who are chasing the same goals,” she says.
She enjoys the camaraderie and group support the club offers. When a fellow member who knew Cummings was coaching herself offered to help her through a few bike workouts, she accepted. Now a close, insightful friend, their friendship became a turning point in her confidence. She says working with him has helped banish her recurring self-doubts.
“I’ve struggled with self-worth issues for much of my life, personal difficulties growing up, and during my 9-year marriage,” she acknowledges.
As her confidence grew, so did her performance. In late 2023, she joined the elite race team, Top Gunz Tri Team. “Being around these phenomenal triathletes inspires me to be better,” she says.
Starting her morning with a workout grounds her and sets her up for a day of success, she notes. Even now, training isn’t always easy. “I work full time, train twice a day, seven days a week, and there are days when I’m not motivated. On those days,” she says, “I remind myself why I do this.”
Her why has become both personal and universal—a reminder that growth often begins where comfort ends.
“I do triathlon to reclaim my self-worth. It’s taken me from questioning my value to discovering my strength and discovering what is possible. Triathlon has become my way back, not just to physical and mental health, but to me. What started as my way back to myself has become a way to inspire others—no matter how lost you feel, you can rise, you can endure, and you can thrive.”
