Benjamin Peacock, SEU class of 2019, is not a conventional youth pastor. While attending a youth camp with his students at Lakeland’s Victory Church, he cycled every day. While on a mission trip with his church, he swam in a volcanic lake each morning. During his downtime while overseeing the church’s Fine Arts event in Ohio, he kept up with his running training. Ben is an Ironman.
The Ironman Triathlon is a 140.6-mile race consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run. Over the span of two years, Ben completed seven half-Ironman 70.3s, but on August 20, 2023, he completed his first full 140.6-mile race. He does this to raise money for missions and to further God’s Kingdom.
Ben’s running journey began in 2011. When he finished a season of middle school soccer in Sharpsburg, Georgia, his father encouraged him to join the cross country team to stay in shape during the off-season. He wasn’t thrilled by the idea and showed up to the first practice without running shoes. The coach did not give up; instead, she had him run with her after practice to see what he could do. She saw great potential in him, and he joined the team.
Ben’s athleticism progressed quickly,and soon enough, he was one of the star runners on the team. “Running was a big focus to me in high school,” he said. “It was something that I put all my stock into. Being the best runner in school was something I wore with pride.”
Changing Course
In his sophomore year of high school, he noticed a deep pain developing in his legs. “I was crying at the end of the 5Ks because I couldn’t take it,” he said. That season, he ran in four races before he was forced to stop due to the pain. The next year, Peacock was diagnosed with Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome, which stems from injuries such as stress fractures.
Although disappointed about the hindrance to his running, Ben continued to stay active without putting strain on his legs. His mother suggested that he take up swimming, so he began taking lessons at the YMCA.
When he started attending SEU in 2016, his injuries prevented him from pursuing his goal of being a college athlete. However, his story took a turn for the better one summer. As part of his requirements for his practical ministries major, Ben was completing an internship at a church. A member of the local family he was staying with was an Ironman athlete, and he asked Ben how fast he could swim. Upon seeing his talent, he encouraged Ben to sign up for a triathlon and join his club. He even offered to pay for his registration and kit.
Entering Triathlons
“Triathlon ended up being my saving grace because my body still cannot handle running consecutive days. But with triathlon, I can swim, I can bike, and I have all these other different ways to keep my body in shape.”
During his last semester of college, he completed a 13 to 16-mile sprint triathlon. To Ben, accomplishing that felt as monumental as running an Ironman. But Ben still had a long way to go. During the COVID-19 shutdowns, he needed something to do for exercise, so he invested in a bike for extra practice.
When races began opening up again, Ben competed in a nearly-32-mile olympic triathlon, which is double the distance of a sprint. A year later, he ran his first Ironman 70.3. He placed fifth in his age group, which qualified him for the Ironman 70.3 World Championship. In 2022, after two race attempts, he returned to the World Championships in a more competitive age group. After two years of competing in Ironman races, he was named an Ironman All-World Athlete: Silver.
Giving Back
“If God has given running back to me, then I need to do something to give to Him, to give Him all the glory,” Ben said.
Ben decided to use racing to donate money to nonprofits through sponsorships. The first organization he supported was Speed the Light, an Assemblies of God charity dedicated to funding resources for missions. His donations went toward building water wells in the Navajo Nation in Arizona and in Gabon, Africa. Between Ben and his fellow staff members at Victory Church, along with help from his youth students, together they raised $85,000 for Speed the Light over the course of two years.
As he prepared for his first full Ironman in 2023, Ben looked for another organization he could support through his running, and he was told about Project Rescue. Through the love and power of God, the organization is dedicated to rescuing and restoring victims of sexual exploitation. When he learned about this organization, he knew right away that he wanted to support it. Ben, his fellow staff members, and the students at Victory Church have raised more than $10,000 in sponsorships for Project Rescue.
Supporting organizations with his racing has given Ben the opportunity to share his faith in a new way. Although many of his Ironman races take place on Sundays, his church allows him the time to participate in these races, because they are part of his ministry. He is able to bring his pastoral capabilities to a new setting, sharing his faith with fellow athletes and attendees, shedding light on Project Rescue’s mission, and sharing the story of how God restored the gift of running to him in order to further His Kingdom.
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