By Allie Corey Published March 11, 2025 6:01pm EDT
Ironman athlete with Alzheimer’s sets a new goal
FOX 13’s Allie Corey highlights Scott Berkheiser, who is inspiring others by competing in the Ironman Triathlon despite being diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at 55 years old.
The Brief
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- Scott Berkheiser is one of the few who have completed the grueling Ironman Triathlon.
- He’s now being treated for Alzheimer’s after he was diagnosed with an early-onset of the disease at 55 years old.
- He’s now the keynote speaker at this year’s Alzheimer’s Association gala on April 4.
TAMPA, Fla. – The Ironman Triathlon is a grueling 140 miles, which includes a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile marathon run to the finish line. It’s an hours-long fight with the mind and body working together to accomplish what few have.
Scott Berkheiser, 58, is one of those few.
If you add up all the miles he has put down in triathlons and marathons, he could make it to Niagara Falls – 1,300 miles away.
“He wasn’t always Ironman,” his wife, Kristen Berkheiser, said.
Before taking on the physical feat of triathlons, Scott spent 38 years exercising his mind as an engineer in the Aerospace Defense Industry. The majority of that time was spent at Lockheed Martin.
“I can’t imagine having a better career,” Scott said.
Scott laced up his shoes and started training for the Ironman competitions about 10 years ago.
“When we first met, he would go for a mile-run after work, and he’d come home and say, ‘I don’t know why I’m doing this. This is awful,'” Kristen said.
His patience and grit wouldn’t let him quit, and now, he’s in his 50’s – quite possibly at his peak when most people begin to slow down. However, that’s when he started to notice something wasn’t right.
“My memory was really, really, really good my entire life. That’s one of the reasons I was successful, and I noticed that slipping,” Scott said. “It was just not as sharp, but I thought, well, normal aging.”
Dig deeper:
After years of testing and multiple doctors, a spinal tap would confirm what Scott had feared.
“It was tough. I mean, my mom had Alzheimer’s, so I knew there was the possibility that was, you know, one of the answers,” he explained.
Scott was diagnosed with early-onset Alzheimer’s at 55 years old.
“It takes a while to sink in, but it was a shock. It was definitely a shock,” said Scott.
The now 58-year-old immediately got on one of the new treatments, and for the last 13 months, he’s been getting Leqembi IV infusions every two weeks. Each infusion takes one hour.
Dr. Susan Steen, a neurologist, is the president of Axiom Brain Health in Tampa, which is a clinical research lab that offers free brain screens and trials with one of the promising new treatments Scott is on.
“He’s doing very well,” said Steen. “I’m so excited for him and his family for acting quickly and getting on treatment.”
She said the infusions are working, and without them, Scott’s condition would likely be much worse.
“They’re on disease-modifying treatment. This treatment that he is on changes the trajectory of the disease,” Steen explained. “So, his progress in the disease will be slower in regard to his cognitive abilities, his ability to continue to be functional, to do the things that he wants to do.”
What they’re saying:
Scott is still competing in triathlons and marathons, but unfortunately, he will step away from the career he cherished.
“I mean, I did something I loved, I was good at. So, it’s really frustrating now because, you know, I don’t do much,” Scott said. “I just kind of answer emails and dial in the telecons. I hear everybody else, and they’re doing this stuff that’s fun and cool, and I’m just kind of sitting on the sideline. So, that’s a little frustrating.”
What’s next:
He took that frustration and found the Alzheimer’s Association and a community of people who are going through the same thing. Scott has joined the fight to end Alzheimer’s and will be sharing his story as Keynote Speaker at this year’s gala on April 4.
“He’s a hero for coming out and telling people about this, because people are afraid of acknowledging or being diagnosed and having to face that,” said Steen. “But once you face that, then you know what you’re dealing with and there are things we can do and this is a time of hope and more hope to come.”
Scott is focused on a new finish line now. One that leads to the end of Alzheimer’s Disease. If not for him, for his children and grandchildren.
What you can do:
To start on one of the disease modifying treatments for Alzheimer’s, your neurologist would have to approve that you qualify. These treatments are meant for patients with early onset Alzheimer’s disease and there are side effects that should be considered.
For more information on these treatments and the upcoming Alzheimer’s Gala on April 4, you can visit www.alz.org/flgulfcoast.