David's triathlon journey is rooted in humble beginnings. He sought out endurance sports as a way to make friends and lose some weight. David joined his cross country team in high school and, although motivated, he never broke 20:00 for 5k. He did not think he would continue running after high school but signed up for a half marathon in college, which he ran at 8:00 pace. From there, David was hooked. He began running more and more. He signed up for many marathons and brought his half marathon time down by more than 30 minutes to 1:13:52. 

In 2016, David was diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism, or a blood clot that went to his lung. He stayed in the hospital for several days, while doctors worked to alleviate the pain and figure out the cause. It turns out that this was a genetic condition, with no way to prevent it from happening. Had he not gone into the hospital, it is likely that David would have suffered a heart attack or stroke that may have caused irreparable, even fatal, damage. David must take blood thinners for life, and is perhaps the only professional triathlete fighting this daily battle. Doctors were uncertain what training and racing would look like after the pulmonary embolism but David was able to get back into racing and set a number of running personal bests from the mile to the marathon.

In 2020, during the global pandemic, David decided to buy a bike, get a pool membership, and sign up for his first (Olympic) triathlon. After just two months of swimming and biking, David won his age group. The following year, he debuted at the 70.3 distance, earning an age group podium and a 70.3 World Championship qualifier. In his first 70.3, David ran under 80:00 -- not bad for someone who started off at 1:45 for an open half marathon.

Over the next couple of years, David worked to improve his swim and his bike. His only wish is that he would have started triathlon earlier. This did not go without its challenges. In 2023, David broke his sacrum twice, putting a hold on his aspirations of turning professional. In 2024, David returned to racing and achieved the USA Triathlon standards to turn professional.

As an age group racer, David was a 4x 70.3 Age Group podium finisher and 4x 70.3 World Championship Qualifier. He finished 4th in the elite field at the 2024 St. Anthony's Triathlon. David's first couple of pro races in 2024 were difficult. He is balancing professional racing and professional studies as a full-time law school student. There has been a natural adjustment period to getting used to the speed of racing against the best athletes in the world. That, however, has not deterred him. Heading into 2025, David is more motivated than ever to show that he belongs, that he is a professional athlete, and that he can overcome his history with blood clots.

David's immediate goal is to slowly climb the PTO ranks, and finish the season ranked in the top-400 (top-50 Americans). While competing for the win at the front of the race isn't a current reality, David wants to pursue the sport at its highest level and find his limits. He does the sport for the love of the grind. He could be winning local race and finishing on age group podiums but, as an athlete in his early 30s, he knows he has limited time left in the sport. He wants to see if he can level up his training and racing, and show that he belongs. Follow along as he pushes his limits, and the limits of blood clot survivors.