Inspired by former NFL player

Northwestern Financial Review, May 15-May 31, 2008 by Bengtson, Tom

Banker completes triathlon, raises money for MD

John DeDoncker, president and CEO of THE National Bank in Bettendorf, Iowa, completed the Ford Ironman Arizona triathlon in Tempe on April 13, raising $15,000 for the Muscular Dystrophy Association in honor of his friend, former NFL football player Wally Hilgenberg.

DeDoncker, the lawyer-turned-banker who was named a Rising Star in 2003 by this magazine, has grown THE National Bank from a denovoin 2001 to a $1.012 billion organization with 22 offices in three states. As the bank grew, DeDoncker worked with Hilgenberg and his son Eric to buy bank owned life insurance through Clark Consulting. In late January, DeDoncker learned that Hilgenberg was diagnosed with a form of muscular dystrophy known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou Gehrig's disease.

The news came as a shock to DeDoncker and most of Hilgenberg's customers, who include many bankers in the Upper Midwest. "Wally and I played golf together just two years ago, and I remember commenting to him at the time what remarkable physical shape he was in," DeDoncker said. Hilgenberg played football at the University of Iowa and 15 seasons with the National Football League, including 12 seasons with the Minnesota Vikings.

Three weeks prior to getting the news, DeDoncker had begun training for his second triathlon. The 43-year-old Iowa native has run several marathons, but only once before had he participated in a triathlon - that was in 2005 in Madison, Wis. In early 2007, DeDoncker decided to enter his second triathlon, figuring the April timing of the Tempe triathlon would give him a good way to get through the Iowa winter. "I am so busy in the summer that I didn't want to do a triathlon in the fall because it would be difficult to find time to train," DeDoncker explained. "But what's there to do in Iowa in the winter? By 4:30 it's dark; I would come home, put on reflective gear and go for a run."

DeDoncker credits the banking industry with his interest in running. He started jogging on a regular basis while attending the Graduate School of Banking in Madison in the summer of 2001. "A group of guys would run every morning before class and I joined them," DeDoncker said. "I liked it so much I stuck with it."

By fall of 2002, he was running marathons. THE National Bank had signed on as the lead sponsor of the Quad Cities Marathon. "I figured if we're going to sponsor the race, then I'm going to run in it," DeDoncker said. He has run in every race since that year, and plans to run in the race this September 28.

DeDoncker's parents live in Phoenix and could provide a place to stay during the race. In addition, his brother offered to come down and give support. His wife and two sons, however, stayed home to meet the obligations of home and school. DeDoncker said family is a priority and he lamented the amount of time he had to devote to training. He tried to minimize the impact of his preparation, however. For example, as he drove his high school age son around the state with his hockey team on weekends, DeDoncker would pack his training bike so he could work out in the hotel room between games.

THE National Bank, which shares a building with the Quad Cities office of the Muscular Dystrophy Association, has been a supporter of the MDA for the last couple of years, donating $5,000 annually, in addition to volunteer time from bank staff. While DeDoncker was out on one of those long runs during the evening darkness, he thought about Wally Hilgenberg, now confined to a wheel chair. 'That's when I decided to turn my triathlon into a fundraiser for MDA," DeDoncker said.

DeDoncker soon hooked up with the Janus Charity Challenge, sponsored by the investment firm. It works with triathletes to raise money for charities of the participants' choice. DeDoncker chose MDA and in a little over two months, solicited more than $15,000 in pledges. "A lot of people over the years have asked me for money," DeDoncker said. "I figured it would be fair for me to ask for some of it back."

Race day was unusually hot, even for Arizona, with the temperature peaking at 96 degrees. Plus, a 25-mile-per-hour wind made the hiking leg of the event particularly grueling. "Physically, the swimming part is the easiest, but it is the most stressful because all 2,100 participants start at once and everyone jockeys for position. The first eight minutes of the race are as fearful as it gets," DeDoncker said.

DeDoncker finished the 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile ride and 26.2-mile run in 12 hours, 11 minutes and 10 seconds to finish 445th overall. In his 40-44 age category, he place 67th out of 310 entrants. Although the cycling portion of the race took up the largest block of time, DeDoncker said the running portion was the most taxing. "Running a marathon is tough enough when you are starting out fresh," he said. "During the run, I kept telling myself, 'Wally can't walk; don't you walk!'"

Completing the race brought a great level of satisfaction, DeDoncker said. "In the last 70 yards, they have bleachers lining both sides of the course, filled with people who cheer you on. A loudspeaker announces your name and says 'you are an ironman.' They put tape up for each finisher so everyone get to break the tape when they complete the course. It is an amazing experience.