Sister Madonna Buder recently participated in the Iron Man Triathlon in Kona, Hawaii. She has competed in over 325 triathlons and nearly 50 Ironmans. In Hawaii Sister Madonna will be faced with a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride and a full marathon (26.2 miles).
Most of us would not even consider taking on a triathlon. That alone makes participation something extraordinary. But Sister Madonna takes it way beyond that because the Iron Nun is 84 years old!
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Sister entered the convent in 1953 at the age of 23. Since 1970 she has been part of a non-traditional community of sisters known as non-canonical Sisters for Christian Community. They are not under the authority of the Roman Catholic Church and are free to choose their own lifestyle and ministry.
In a recent interview with KREM 2 News, Sister Madonna says she never imagined she would be participating in Ironman triathlons. She entered her first triathlon at 52 and her first Ironman at 55.
In 2009, at 79 years old, she set the Ironman Triathlon World Record for the oldest female to complete an Ironman. In subsequent years, as Sister has aged, she continues to hold this record. She is also a senior Olympian and holds several records in a variety of distances. Earlier this year Sister Madonna was inducted into the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame.
You can’t tell the difference between Sister Madonna and anyone else that runs or bikes the trails in West Central. But if you get the chance to meet her you will find she is spry, feisty and has startling blue eyes. The Iron Nun – West Central’s own celebrity.