At Active Release Techniques® (ART), we’ve proudly supported IRONMAN Kona for 30 amazing years. For three decades, our providers have been there on the ground, helping athletes keep moving, recover faster, and push harder.
But every now and then, someone comes along who doesn’t just represent what we do—they live it.
Meet Patti Vetter: ART team Controller, 15-time full IRONMAN finisher, marathoner, endurance enthusiast, and living proof that mental toughness, physical resilience, and proper treatment go a very long way.
It all started with one goal
Patti’s entry into endurance sports started with a simple goal: check marathon off the bucket list. To do so, she signed up for the Cowtown Marathon in Fort Worth, Texas.
Unexpectedly, she did so well she qualified for Boston. And that did it. Known as the marathon for runners, the energy and race experience had Patti hooked.
So how did IRONMAN come into the picture? In Colorado, Patti met her friend Angel who was training for an IRONMAN herself. Patti went to support having very little detail on what the race entailed. However, the experience changed her forever – seeing the diversity of people, all ages and sizes, achieving such an incredible goal really inspired her and lead her to register herself.
A Detour to Boulder
Her first scheduled IRONMAN was in Texas, but due to severe rain, the bike course was washed out, and athletes were given a free transfer to another race.
“I picked Boulder,” Patti recalls. “It was the only year they offered a full IRONMAN there.”
With no experience at altitude, she was challenged from the very start of the swim but pushed through to finish strong. “I thought it would be a one-time accomplishment, but the energy at the finish line was the best natural high. That feeling is addicting.”
Since then, she’s chased that high 14 more times.
A challenging and pivotal journey
Patti’s path into endurance sports wasn’t just about checking off fitness goals, it was about healing.
“When I was 35, I couldn’t get pregnant,” she shares. “Then we moved to Texas, and I got pregnant naturally—but miscarried at 9 weeks.”
Devastated, she turned to running to cope. She had a group of friends that were planning to run a marathon and that gave her something to focus on. Something that helped her process things.
But grief would find its way into her story again.
Years later, Patti lost her husband very unexpectedly. He was her biggest supporter both on and off the course. Months after his passing she was dealt another blow when she was T-boned while riding her bike.
At the time, the full extent of her injuries wasn’t clear, however Patti had broken her neck and would feel the result of that injury years down the road. Lower back pain and loss of power on her left side, slowly led to increased pain. This made races more challenging and led to a noticeable decrease in her overall finish times.
“I’d never had issues before. Suddenly, I was getting slower. I could barely finish races.”
The combination of emotional and physical trauma could’ve sidelined her completely.
But not Patti.
Strength Beyond Muscle: The Mental Game
Ask any endurance athlete, and they’ll tell you the mental part is often tougher than the physical. For Patti, that strength comes from grit, grief, and love.
“My late husband was my biggest fan,” she says. “He was my soulmate.”
During the toughest parts of training, and every grueling mile on race day, his memory keeps her moving forward.
She puts in 20–25 hours of training a week, balanced with smart recovery, intentional training, and a determination to keep getting better.
“I just want to get the best out of myself. Keep pushing the limit.”
And she’s doing just that—on her own terms, in her own way.
The Current Chapter: Discovering ART
Patti’s path to ART ironically enough had nothing to do with her direct tie back to her participation in endurance sports but rather started simply as a job inquiry.
“I didn’t know ART had such strong ties to IRONMAN,” she says, “I found out more while interviewing and learning about Dr. Leahy’s experience at Kona which was impressive.”
During her time here, Patti has started to see Dr. Drew Cuiffo for treatment while she trains for her next IRONMAN in Wisconsin.
“He has magic hands,” she laughs.
What Drew uncovered was more than just back pain.
“My psoas was twisted. I had no strength on my left side, and my bike times were getting slower.”
Drew’s ART treatments have made a noticeable difference. Patti has started to regain strength in her left side and is now running closer to her previous speeds, as well as seeing improved biking times, getting back to the athlete she was before trauma and injury. It’ll be exciting to see ART’s impact on Pattis’s race!
What’s Next?
You didn’t think she was slowing down, did you?
Patti’s next big goals include:
- Running a marathon in all 50 states (she’s already hit 31)
- Qualifying for IRONMAN Kona
- And becoming one of those legendary badass women in their 70s who are still out there crushing it
Shape
Patti = The Essence of ART
Patti’s story reminds us that athleticism isn’t just about what your body can do, it’s about what your spirit endures.
From deep personal loss to rediscovering strength through ART, she represents everything we stand for: resilience, recovery, and the drive to keep going, no matter what.
Whether she’s training, racing, or supporting others through their own recovery journeys, Patti Vetter is living proof that healing is possible, and greatness is always within reach.
