Swimming, riding and running for a cause

On May 1, one month shy of his 50th birthday, Merrick’s Dennis Cohen will take part in the St. Anthony’s Olympic Triathlon in St. Petersburg, Fla., a grueling competition comprising a one-mile swim, a 25-mile bike ride and a six-mile run –– and he’ll do it all for a good cause.

Cohen will compete for Team in Training, an organization founded in 1988 that sponsors athletes to perform in triathlons, marathons, hiking adventures and century bike rides to raise money for the nonprofit Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.

St. Anthony’s will be Cohen’s second triathlon. In 2009, he participated in a sprint triathlon in Glen Cove, which is a little less demanding than an Olympic triathlon.

“That experience was absolutely amazing," Cohen said. “I can't tell you what an accomplishment it felt like."

To be eligible to compete in St. Anthony’s, Cohen needed to raise $4,000 for his airfare, hotel, training and uniform. He sent emails to friends and family members, and raised the money in 72 hours. All extra funds that he raises will go to the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. “It's a very nice feeling to know that you have so much support," he said.

Cohen has been involved in athletic competitions for much of his life, having run in five- and 10-kilometer races and half marathons. He’s also a regular participant in Robbie’s Run For a Reason, a five-kilometer race/walk that is held annually at Levy-Lakeside Elementary School in Merrick by the Robbie Levine Foundation to raise money to supply defibrillators for youth sports fields and leagues. “A good cause is a good cause, even if it's not something that is close to you. It's close to somebody,” Cohen said.

Cohen is inspired to run and take part in triathlons by his family. One of the biggest influences in his life has been his father, who died of lung cancer in 2002. His death compelled Cohen to get involved with Team in Training, so that he could help raise money to fund research to find cures for blood cancers such as leukemia, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and myeloma. "Every time I'm biking, running and swimming, I can hear him on my shoulder telling me that I can do it,” Cohen said. "He was a major force in my life."

A Merrick resident since 2000, Cohen has been married to his wife, Cindy, for 25 years. Together they have three children, Jessica, 24, Joey, 23, and Mitchell, 20.

His middle son, Joey, is another source of inspiration for Cohen. While Jessica and Mitchell graduated from Kennedy High School, Joey has suffered from blindness and cerebral palsy after he was born prematurely in the fifth month, and is now confined to a wheelchair. “He weighed less than a pound when he was born,” Cohen said.

One of Cohen’s favorite activities is running while pushing Joey in his wheelchair. "He loves music, so all I have to do is make sure his music is playing,” Cohen said. “And I know it sounds silly, but while I'm running, I'm not alone."

Cohen, who owns a commercial roofing business in New York City, still remembers the exhausting experience of his first marathon in Glen Cove. "That first mile, I thought I was going to die,” he said. “But then you turn the corner, and everybody's cheering. Once you hear that, all your pain goes away, and the smile gets back on your face."

Cohen follows a rigorous workout regimen that includes running, biking and swimming. During the week, he trains more than two hours a day, except on Friday, which is his day off. “'You have no idea how I live for Fridays,” he joked.

While training, Cohen also maintains a strict diet. He has lost 12 pounds since he began working out last fall. "I love junk food,” he said. “But the problem is, after I've just biked for 90 minutes and I’ve run for four miles, you say, 'Do I really want to eat that Devil Dog?'"

Cohen said he does not plan to take it easy once he finishes the triathlon. He has already committed to a half Iron Man triathlon in Syracuse in November, sponsored by Team in Training.

The race will comprise a two-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and a half marathon. “But I’m not even thinking that far in advance,” he said.

However demanding the race may be, there’s no doubt in Cohen’s mind that it’s all worth it. “You see these kids who spend time in hospitals, and they thank you for doing for them what they can't do for themselves, and it's an amazing feeling,” he said.

"When you get a ‘thank you’ from a little kid who just had chemotherapy,” Cohen added, “and you get a ‘thank you’ from an older man who doesn't have enough strength to talk, it makes that run just a little easier."

Cohen said he hopes to raise more money before he competes in the St. Anthony’s. Anyone interested in helping in that effort can donate at pages.teamintraining.org/li/anttry11/dcohenhqrp.

Comments about this story? DWeingrad@liherald.com or (516) 569-4000 ext. 236.