Battling terminal stage-four cancer, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa alumnus Jonathan Pascual was so much more than an Ironman when he finished the 2024 Ironman World Championship in Kona.
A 1998 graduate of the School of Nursing, Pascual was diagnosed with mediastinal paraganglioma, a rare form of cancer, in 2022. The cancer spread to his lungs and bones, yet he completed the 2.4-mile open-water swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2-mile run in October 2024.
“All of us in our lifetime will deal with suffering, losses, disabilities, injuries. My point of view is that these are invitations to show true strength and courage,” he said.
Pascual first attended Leeward Community College and Kapiʻolani Community College for prerequisite courses. He then forged strong bonds during his time at the UH Mānoa School of Nursing.
“Amazingly, after all these years, I am still in contact with a select number of college friends and our professor, Connie Gazmen,” he said. “I would take her classes again. For me, that has always been one of the best learning times that I had at UH.”
He credits UH for the longevity of his friendships.
“It all started in UH, and that started this community that we’ve had. UH is the one place that bound us together.”
He also challenges the notion that stage 4 cancer is a death sentence.
Pascual said, “It is a place where you can find what would be important in your life.”
