Northeast College supports IRONMAN triathlon event, athletes

Northeast College of Health Sciences student clerks and faculty from the Long Island Campus Levittown Health Center were on hand Saturday, Sept. 28, to provide free chiropractic care at the second annual sold-out IRONMAN 70.3 New York – Jones Beach triathlon.

“We were right at the finish line,” said Assistant Dean of Clinical Education Daryon Ray, MS, MPA, DSL, also interim director at the new Long Island campus, in a press release. “Providing adjustments, therapeutic massage and helping athletes stretch out was a vital component for many who were in pain at the end of the event.”

Student clerks from the College’s Seneca Falls Campus in the Finger Lakes region of New York joined their Long Island classmates to offer even more hands and free chiropractic services within the community on the southern shores. Supporting students at the triathlon, Ray and Dean of Clinical Education Wendy Maneri, DC, were joined by Levittown Health Center faculty, including Adjunct Instructor Lloyd Kupferman, DC, FACC, CCSP, Associate Professor Veronica Wicks, DC, FACC, CCSP, and Assistant Professor Charles Hemsey, DC, FACC.

Together, the 25 Northeast College community members provided free chiropractic care to more than 100 athletes participating in the IRONMAN event.

Extreme challenge

Despite the wind and rainy weather, 4,000 elite athletes showed up to brave the 1.2-mile swim in Zach’s Bay at Jones Beach State Park, a 56-mile bike ride along the Wantagh State Parkway and the 13.1-mile run along the Jones Beach Boardwalk. The Northeast College community was among hundreds of volunteers and spectators supporting the elite athletes at the local IRONMAN event, just 30 miles from downtown New York City and 15 minutes from the new Northeast College Long Island campus. (In New York, IRONMAN also holds events in Geneva and Lake Placid.)

“The weather was challenging, and we had to deal with some logistical hurdles from the storm, but the students carried an immense spirit and shined through,” said Ray. “Everyone there, the athletes especially, had to persevere and pivot, and they did so with determination and grit. We’re honored to be part of such an esteemed event within our local communities and the racing community.”

Although Northeast College student clerk Bridget Ivanyi, DC (’24), has provided chiropractic care at sporting events in the past, treating athletes at a triathlon was a first for her, and she said the “energy was intense.”

“Providing care to the athletes right during the action was an incredible experience,” she said. “These athletes push their bodies to the limit and being able to help them recover or relieve pain in real time was amazing. Being part of their support system felt great.”

Click here to view a gallery of images from this IRONMAN event.

Coming again in September… IRONMAN 2025

Just as many racers have already signed up for the Sept. 20, 2025, third annual IRONMAN in Jones Beach, so has Northeast College of Health Sciences, said Ray. Students and faculty will be there to provide more free chiropractic services, and they plan to prepare for an even bigger event.

For next year, the College applied for a grant from the IRONMAN Foundation, which seeks to create a positive impact and provide volunteer opportunities within race communities. Ray said Northeast College has been approved, and they plan to buy more equipment to help even more triathlon athletes.

“The IRONMAN triathlon in Jones Beach is sure to carry a long legacy of inspiring people to live their best lives. We are proud and eager to support the event and all its dedicated participants,” said Northeast College President Michael Mestan, DC, EdD. “We consistently strive for ways to incorporate our ever-better philosophy into our New York communities, and it’s clear that Ironman shares our values.”