Team Member Spotlight

Kelly Adams-Williams of Lufkin, Texas, never imagined she would one day call herself an Ironman. A lifelong severe asthmatic, she didn’t run her first 5K until age 51 and completed her first full Ironman at 55. Now 60, she embraces the nicknames she’s earned along the way — #IronGrandma and #AsthmaticAthlete — while proudly cheering on her five grandchildren who call her “Nonnie.”

Her road to triathlon wasn’t a typical one. At 37, Kelly lost her first husband to Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, leaving her widowed with two young children. Searching for an outlet in her grief, she turned to exercise. What began as walking on a treadmill slowly became jogging, then running, and eventually, triathlon. Fitness became a source of healing and, as she likes to say, “Training is much cheaper than therapy, and it keeps me grounded.”

Kelly’s late start in racing makes her accomplishments all the more remarkable. By her early 50s she was signing up for local 5Ks and sprint triathlons, steadily building the endurance to tackle bigger goals. In 2015, she began racing triathlons more seriously, completing four Ironman 70.3 races before her biggest milestone — the 2019 Ironman Florida in Panama City Beach.

Crossing that finish line was a life-changing moment, but the celebration didn’t stop there. When Kelly returned to the elementary school where she worked (she’s now retired after 28 years of teaching), she was greeted by a giant yard sign declaring “Mrs. Adams is our Ironman!” Inside the building, her colleagues and students surprised her with balloons, cookie cakes labeled “Swim,” “Bike,” “Run,” and “DONE!” and even a school-wide assembly. During the event, she shared her journey with her students, telling them how “an asthmatic grandma who was the worst swimmer in the masters swim class” managed to become an Ironman. Her message was simple: set goals, work hard, and never give up.

Kelly is quick to credit her family for being her biggest supporters. She did remarry and her husband Scott, a former competitive bodybuilder and one-time Mr. Collegiate Texas, is her biggest champion and sherpa. At races, he carries gear, cheers loudly, and waves humorous signs that say things like: “Kelly is a lady beast!” or “Consider this practice for the zombie apocalypse!”

Her daughter Meagan, a professional videographer, documents races with highlight reels and shouts her trademark cheer: “Go Kelly! That’s my mom!!” Her son Matthew, a Marine veteran, may not admit it to her directly, but others have told her he brags about her Ironman accomplishments. Her stepchildren — Hannah, Jake, and Josh — have grown accustomed to sharing their living space with a treadmill and bike trainer in the living room. Even her rescue dogs, Charlie, Dobby, and Molly, double as “faithful training buddies,” keeping her company during recovery walks or while she pedals indoors for hours.

Family ties to ranching run deep as well. Her stepdaughter married into a cattle-raising family, and granddaughter Addie Mae, just nine years old, is already excelling in 4H, livestock judging, beef skillathons, and even building her own Beefmaster herd. Kelly beams with pride: “She’s amazing.”

Kelly has been an enthusiastic member of the Texas Beef Team for eight years and loves sharing the power of beef as part of a healthy, active lifestyle with others. Her very first Ironman 70.3, in Galveston in 2018, was especially meaningful because she crossed the finish line wearing her Beef Team kit.

Living in rural East Texas, Kelly is often the only Beef Team member at her local races, but she treasures the friendships she has made through the group. “I enjoy meeting fellow Beefers at races and events, and I’ve made friendships that I treasure,” she says. One of her special “beef memories” happened at TriWaco, where a photo of her in her Beef kit has been featured 10 feet tall on the finish arch. She also loves the Rose City Triathlon in Tyler for its vibe and the memory of landing on the podium for the first time (Editor’s note: many more times have followed over the years)!  

At home, beef is part of her lifestyle, too. While Scott is the grill master — known for his smash burgers and steaks — Kelly’s personal favorite is “kebobs with sirloin tips and fresh grilled vegetables.” Before races, she always fuels with steak, keeping things simple and satisfying.

Kelly’s path has not been without challenges. Severe asthma has been a lifelong hurdle, sidelining her from multiple races despite months of preparation. COVID in 2021 worsened her lung function and forced her to withdraw from numerous races including numerous Ironman events.  

Yet, she refuses to quit. Most recently, she had to withdraw from Ironman 70.3 Texas, but with the help of her pulmonologist, she secured a transfer to Ironman 70.3 Waco. This triathlon is October 5, 2025 and the goal she is currently training for.  “I’m determined to make this one my comeback,” she says. Through it all, her faith sustains her. She lives by the Bible verse Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ, Who gives me strength.”

Away from triathlon, Kelly has a full and vibrant life. She’s an avid reader and, along with Scott, loves to cruise, scuba dive, and snorkel. She also pours her heart into volunteer work. including Second Helpings/Second Sacks, a program that provides food for students experiencing food insecurity, and Buckner Family Pathways, which assists single mothers enrolled in college with housing, counseling, and financial coaching. Her professional background — 28 years in the classroom and earlier work with Child Protective Services as both a caseworker and supervisor — gives her unique perspective on how vital these programs are.

Kelly has also shared her story widely. She was featured in her local newspaper under the headline “She Became One,” appeared on the TriDot and In a Skirt podcasts, and even served as a “living book” at her local library under the title “An Unlikely Ironman.” Proudly wearing her Beef Team jersey, she spoke about resilience, faith, and perseverance, inspiring her community to chase their own goals.

And for a fun fact? In the 1980s, Kelly spent a stint performing singing telegrams — a whimsical side of her otherwise driven personality.

Today, Kelly balances family, faith and fitness with a clear sense of purpose. She is proud of every medal she has earned, but more than that, she is proud of the example she has set. “The fact that this asthmatic grandma can even train and race at all is my greatest PR!” she says.  

Her journey is a testament to resilience — proof that it’s never too late to set big goals, to start over, or to inspire others by simply showing up and doing the work. From a grieving widow in her late 30s to a grandmother of five with Ironman finishes under her belt, Kelly Adams-Williams continues to live her life mile by mile, grounded in faith and fueled by family, community, and the strength of perseverance.