Two for the road

We caught wind of two alumni who participated in athletic feats of endurance this fall.

Words by Kara Pothier

We caught wind of two alumni who participated in athletic feats of endurance this fall. Thomas Ruggia ’98, CEO of Samsara Vision and TCNJ Foundation board member, completed the Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Heather Fehn ’94, MA ’96, the college’s chief of staff to the president, finished the Berlin (Germany) Marathon, which is considered one of the six major world marathon races.

“To race at Kona was an honor and a privilege,” says Ruggia, who has been racing Ironman triathlons the past eight years. “It is truly an opportunity of a lifetime for triathletes.”

Ruggia is no stranger to physical toughness. “It’s been in my blood since my TCNJ football days,” he says. He has a streak of more than 1,030 consecutive training days under his belt, including the day after his Kona race.

Fehn was a marathon newbie, but her experience in Berlin has inspired her. “The support from the various communities of Berlin was unreal,” she says. “There was everything from government-sponsored entertainment to random citizens with tambourines and trumpets cheering all along the way.”

Next up? She earned a lottery slot for the Chicago Marathon in October 2023. “I’ve got my eye on some of the other major races too,” she says.

Illustration: Kathryn Rathke