In October 2026, a former Israeli special forces fighter who lost his leg to a blast in Gaza became the first Israeli amputee to finish the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. Boris Shtonda, a former Duvdevan unit soldier, crossed the finish line in 16 hours, 33 minutes and 54 seconds, completing a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike leg, and a full marathon on a prosthetic running blade, according to The Jewish Chronicle.
From Beit Hanoun to Kona
Shtonda lost his leg in an explosion in Beit Hanoun, Gaza, in November 2023. Four of his fellow soldiers were killed in the same blast, and reporting from Israel National News says Shtonda dedicated his Kona finish to them. Less than two years separate that day in Gaza from a finish line on one of endurance sport's hardest courses, a gap most athletes would call a full career, let alone a recovery.
Qualifying for Kona is not handed out. Shtonda earned his slot by completing a half-Ironman in Valencia, Spain, in April, a result strong enough to punch his ticket to the world championship. Outlets covering his story also note he has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro twice on a prosthetic leg, a detail that points to someone who treats "impossible" as a starting line rather than a stop sign.
Why a finish line like this matters
Ironman's full-distance race is brutal for able-bodied athletes who have trained for years. For a below-the-knee or above-the-knee amputee, every discipline requires solving problems that stock equipment and conventional coaching were never built for: a running blade that performs differently on lava-rock hills than on a track, a bike setup that has to account for a prosthetic's fit and alignment over 112 miles, open-water conditions that complicate a swim prosthesis. Finishing at all is a statement. Finishing as the first Israeli amputee to do it at Kona is a marker other wounded veterans and first responders can point to.
Stories like Shtonda's resonate because they're not really about one race. They're about what happens after the headlines fade and the hard part begins: the training blocks, the equipment trial and error, the days recovery doesn't come easy, and the decision to sign up for the next start line anyway. That is exactly the stretch of road Operation WarriorFit exists to support.
OWF's mission, one entry fee at a time
Operation WarriorFit provides free race entries, 5Ks, marathons, Spartan, HYROX, Ironman, triathlon, and more, to veterans, service members, and first responders working toward goals like the one Shtonda just crossed. A race entry fee shouldn't be the thing standing between someone and a finish line that gives their recovery a destination. If you're an eligible veteran, service member, or first responder with a race on your mind, visit OWF's eligibility page to see how to get started.