HOWARD (NBC 26) — Three years after Brenda Fritz woke up paralyzed from a biking accident, the paratriathlete is preparing for the biggest race of her career.
"Laying in the ICU, I was like, 'I'm going to do an Ironman,'" Fritz remembered thinking.
She awoke from the incident at Aurora Baycare Medical Center, where she worked at the time as a nurse. She never imagined she'd enter the building as a patient, but an early morning ride almost cost Fritz her life.
It was a foggy September day in 2023 when Fritz left her Howard home for her usual route. "I've done that route a thousand times," Fritz noted.
The fog worsened as she headed north, and traveling well over 50 miles per hour through a blind intersection, she collided with a semi-truck.
Fritz says no one witnessed the crash, and the driver wasn't aware it happened. Her body flew 30 feet into a nearby ditch, and at 4:30 in the morning, Fritz feared that's where her life would end.
"If everything didn't go perfectly to a tee by, like, probably the second or minute, I would have died," Fritz emphasized.
That's when the magic began, as Fritz explains it.
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Within moments of the accident, a passerby noticed her bike laying in the roadway. That person, who happened to be an intensive care nurse, quickly came to Fritz's aid.
Dense fog meant life-saving support couldn't come by helicopter, so first responders took Fritz to Aurora. She was bleeding out, and Fritz believes she wouldn't have survived a helicopter flight.
From the hospital bed, Fritz made getting stronger her goal.
"I dedicated everything to my recovery," Fritz said.
She couldn't yet walk again — let alone run — but still, she set her sights high.
"I didn't know if it would happen or not," noted Fritz, "but I knew if I had that goal, I would fight."
A high-level athlete, Fritz had just completed a Madison race. She was a top finisher.
Her journey back to the start line hasn't been easy, but she says it's been possible because of support.
Almost a day to the third year anniversary of her accident, Fritz will return to Madison for her first ever full Ironman.
"And it's not really just about Ironman, but it's about going back to day one when I chose to fight and not give up," Fritz mentioned.
She wants her recovery to inspire others.
"You can make it through anything," said Fritz.
Fritz's friends and family will join her for the race Sept. 13 as she celebrates her accomplishment. Neighbors will spot them in matching T-shirts bearing her name.
