Triathlete Is Heart Strong and Defying Limits With Every Race

In the dead of winter, Luise Easton stays in swimming shape through daily workouts at a recreation center’s indoor pool, near her home in a suburb east of Cleveland, Ohio.

But in more temperate months, the 86-year-old – who has competed in more than 100 triathlon, aquathlon, aquabike and other long distance multi-sport events – trains for upcoming races, under the watchful eye of her coach.

Luise, a retired swim coach who also has a craft business catering to children and senior citizens called Weezie Does It, shrugs off praise for her athletic endeavors.

“What keeps me going is I know I have to keep moving,” Luise states, in a strong and steady voice. “I enjoy the competition.”

And she does her share of winning quite often.

Far more times than she can count, Luise has finished in first place for her age category at international events including the 2023 World Triathlon Aquathlon Championships in Ibiza, Spain, and at the 2022 World Triathlon Sprint and Relay Championships in Montreal, Canada.

Unsurprisingly, Luise downplays some of her many achievements: “I like to win. But as I get older, I’m sometimes the only competitor in my age group. I only have to show up and finish each leg of the race to win!” Showing up, training, and completing the event is no small feat, and Luise continues to do it with determination.

In 2021, Luise began experiencing breathing difficulties while exercising. Her doctor at the time noticed her ejection fraction percentage, which indicates how well your heart pumps blood, was slightly below normal. Luise modified her exercise, but that approach limited her active lifestyle.

In 2023, her running coach suggested she make an appointment with Tamanna Singh, MD, sports cardiologist and director of the Cleveland Clinic Sports Cardiology Center, who is also a distance runner.

Additional testing confirmed Luise had mildly reduced ejection fraction or “weaker heart.” Luise continues to be monitored by Dr. Singh and her care team and takes oral medications. This has helped manage her condition and allowed her to continue doing what she loves.

Dr. Singh admires Luise’s strength, dedication and affinity for self-motivation. “Luise recognizes what she needs --as a human, a woman and an athlete –that will shape the activities required for a challenging yet meaningful life. I think that is admirable,” notes Dr. Singh. “She has gusto. She has want, and she has will. Part of my purpose as a cardiologist is to support her as best as I can.”

Originally from New Jersey, Luise discovered her competitive spirit early—around age 7 or 8—when she won second place in an inner tube race on a nearby lake. She still treasures the medal inscribed “Budd Lake, 2nd Place.” Her passion for swimming deepened after her family relocated to Connecticut, where she eventually took up synchronized swimming. As teenagers, Luise and her partner went on to become Connecticut state champions.

“I got the competitive bug and just kept at it,” recalls Luise, who went on to graduate from Springfield College and embarked on a career as a high school swimming coach.

As a young adult, she took up jogging to help control her weight. Friends she ran with told her about triathlons: “Well, I thought, I know how to swim. I run. And I know how to ride a bike. I gave it a try – and found out I could do it.”

Luise spent years competing across the U.S. and internationally, eventually qualifying for her first triathlon world championship in her fifties. But in 1989, a painful foot injury forced her to stop. What she thought would be a short break turned into a 22-year hiatus from competition. During that time, a more sedentary lifestyle led her to gain more than 100 pounds, and it seemed her days as a competitive athlete were behind her.

In 2015, Luise discovered the National Senior Games championships would be held in Chicago and that old competitive spark reignited. “I thought, I can drive to Chicago. So why not try it again?” she recalls. She began training with a group and private coaches, eventually qualifying for the event.

Along the way, she shed over 100 pounds and returned to the sports she loved: running, biking, and swimming.

Dr. Singh describes Luise as a role model for people of any age who are looking to start—or restart—an active lifestyle.

“It’s very challenging to be sedentary for years and then decide to go run a marathon,” Dr. Singh states. “But as a cardiologist, I’m not the one to say you can never do it. I’m the one to say, ‘Prove me wrong,’ but do it in a healthy way so you can get through training and race day in one piece.”

Dr. Singh adds, “Luise’s true power is in her mindset and being in tune with and listening to her body.”

And she’s taken that advice to heart. Luise has adapted her approach to competition, often skipping the cycling portion, opting for shorter events instead of Olympic-length ones, and choosing to walk during the running segments. “Find something you like to do that gets you moving, and just do it,” Luise says.

Dr. Singh agrees. “If you really feel motivated to move, move! Physicians are here to support you, to help you find therapies, if you need them, to stay healthy. When you can prove to yourself you’re capable of more than you thought, that leads to endless possibilities.”