There’s a large community of endurance athletes in Northern California and the Red Cross says the athletes are great candidates to donate blood.
One triathlete says donating blood has become part of his training.
Jonathan Wan is on a mission to keep athletes safe and seen while swimming, biking and running.
He created waterproof lights that flash and can be placed on a bike, helmet, or a person’s clothes.
Wan is an Ironman athlete and recently crossed the Ironman California finish line in Sacramento in October.
“It takes a lot to complete the course, not to mention training,” he said.
An Ironman consists of a 2.4-mile swim and 112-mile bike ride, followed by a marathon of a 26.2-mile run.
Wan said it’s his lifestyle now, and he doesn’t take for granted he’s healthy enough to be an endurance triathlete.
“Someone like me who got injured 30 years ago, I could not be here today if someone did not donate blood,” he said.
Wan can swim now, but when he was younger and new to San Francisco from Hong Kong, he thought he was OK in the Pacific Ocean.
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