As a young man, Will Turner, Virginia Tech ’80, joined Sigma Phi Epsilon to take part in the fraternal vision of gaining more than an education from the college experience. SigEp membership and service as chairman for community relations gave Will the drive to succeed, and he has continued to strive for excellence through his current athletic endeavors.

“I’ve always been proud of the Sound Mind, Sound Body principles that represent the balanced man,” Will said. “Of all the organizations I’ve been a part of in my life, nothing compares to Sigma Phi Epsilon. I formed lasting friendships and made brothers for life who inspire me to be my best.”

He has spent the past two decades becoming more competitive as an endurance athlete, pursuing new challenges since running his first marathon to raise money for a friend fighting cancer. “Anything I lack in physical or athletic prowess, I more than makeup with my grit and mental toughness, which I’ve honed and sharpened over the past 20 years.”

It’s this tenacity that has fueled Will’s phenomenal athletic success: He broke the world record for most Ironman-distance triathlons completed in a year (60), followed by 45 more the following year. The International Ultra Triathlon Association recently ranked Will No. 1 globally for competitors over age 60.

Will completed his greatest challenge in September 2023, becoming the first person to finish a 914-mile ultra-triathlon in the Sierras, a distance equivalent to 6.5 Ironmans. “I purposefully do things that are going to stretch and challenge me, and I enjoy the fact that I can race competitively with athletes half my age. I still have big plans and goals to come, so I don’t plan on resting on my laurels anytime soon.”

A documentary company reached out to Will to follow his Sierra 914 journey. He looks forward to sharing the story when the film is completed and hopes to inspire others to realize more of their potential.

This article is shared from the Virginia Kappa newsletter in the Alumni Communications Program.