Dad of 3 Collapses and Dies During Bike Portion of Ironman Wisconsin Triathlon

Photo:Dax Bakken/Facebook

Dax Bakken/Facebook

A 51-year-old man collapsed and died while participating in the Ironman Wisconsin triathlon over the weekend, organizers said.

“It is with profound sadness to confirm the death of a race participant during Sunday’s IRONMAN Wisconsin triathlon,” race officialswrote on Facebook in a statement.

The victim was identified as Dax Bakken, a military veteran who served in Operation Desert Storm and was the father of three children, according to aGoFundMe campaigncreated to raise money for his wife and kids.

Bakken collapsed during the bike portion of the course in the town of Cross Plains, according to IRONMAN Wisconsin organizers. A race staff member and an off-duty police officer provided medical attention before EMS transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead, race representatives said.

For Bakken, competing in the full, 140.6 mile triathlon — a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and 26.2 mile run — was something he “had trained and dreamed of” doing, family members said in the GoFundMe.

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The father had recently obtained his master’s degree and was the “primary support” for his family, which included his wife, their 8-year-old daughter and his two sons.

Bakken worked as a development manager and senior developer at Whitsell Innovations in Madison,according to his LinkedIn profile.

source: people.com