DR: What made you even think about doing an Ultraman?
RH: After two Ironmans, I wanted something more; something different. I’d known about Ultraman since 2008, after reading about it online. My first thought was like anyone else’s…..”Wow, this is stupid. Who the hell would do something like this?!” Mosi and I of course talked about it once in awhile, and over time as I got more and more addicted to the sport, it slowly turned from “No way in hell. Never.” to “Man, how could it be possible? Those distances!” to “You know, it would be pretty cool to stand on the finish line of that race.” to “Maybe, just maybe if I trained my ass off, it might be possible to finish it. Just maybe.”
DR: Was it an easy decision once you caught the bug?
RH: Mosi put in his application to Canada late last year, and that’s what really got me thinking about it. So in January, I said screw it and put my application in. I was about #7 on the waiting list, so I said “Well, I won’t get in anyway. At least now I can say I tried. Done.” Low and behold, I found out in April that I got in and received an official invitation. “Holy sh*t. I really have to do this now!”
DR: What happened in your normal training regimen after you realized you got in?
RH: The rest of the summer was nothing but training. Nose to the grindstone for four months straight. But it was an unforgettable experience and I’ll never forget it. I found out while at Canada that there were spots reserved in person to go to Hawaii in November. After the amazing experience at Canada, as soon as I crossed the finish line I told them I wanted to go to Hawaii. The rest is history as depicted in the videos. Ultraman isn’t very well known at all, but it’s a very unique, special experience. That’s why I wanted to capture the essence of the experience in the videos for all to see. (Click HERE to go to Rob’s facebook page to see his video.)
DR: You ran the entire 52-mile portion carrying a flag which was all part of your plan to raise money for the Semper Fi 1 in 10 program? Tell us more about that.
RH: The Semper Fi Fund is a charity that raises money to assist wounded Marines with things that they need for their recoveries from their injuries that the government can’t provide. The details are on the website, but they are basic things that we wouldn’t think of unless we had some of their injuries: Ramps in vehicles and homes for leg amputees, hand controls for vehicles, specialized workout equipment, etc. The government doesn’t provide any of this, but it is very expensive. The charity exists to provide these things for our wounded Marines. “1 in 10” is a fundraising campaign for this charity that Mosi and I started in 2010. “10” is for 2010 (the year it started) and “1” is for 1 million, our ultimate fundraising goal. We will not stop until we get it.
