March 18, 1994
Johnny is born
Johnny is born 11 weeks early at William Beaumont Hospital, Royal Oak, Michigan. He was 3 pounds, 7 ounces.
April 1994
Diagnosis
Johnny diagnosed with Spastic Quadriplegia Cerebral Palsy.
January 1997
First Steps
At the age of three, Johnny walks his first two labored steps at Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Therapy Clinic, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
August 2009
First 5K race
Mitchell’s Run Through Rockford, Rockford, Michigan. Johnny and Jeff got passed by an eighty-year-old power walker.
September 2009
myTeam Triumph
First Triathlon for Johnny and first triathlon with myTeam Triumph (Jeff watched) Johnny loved it and was hooked!
August 2010
First 10K
Logan’s Run in South Bend, Indiana
May 2011
First 25K
Fifth Third Riverbank Run. It was the largest 25K road race in the country.
August 2011
Ludington Lighthouse Triathlon
Ludington, Michigan. Johnny ran with friends Bev and Donna. It was during this race that Jeff and Johnny’s sister, Annie, were motivated to start training to pull Johnny in the same triathlon the following year.
August 2012
TeamAgar’s First Triathlon
Ludington Lighthouse Triathlon, Ludington, Michigan. First Triathlon TeamAgar participated in. Jeff, Annie, and Johnny crossed the finish line together and TeamAgar was born.
May 2013
First Marathon
The Bayshore Marathon in Traverse City, Michigan.
June 2013
Johnny walks a mile.
St Patrick Parish Festival 5K. Hundreds of people who participated in the race came back to cheer Johnny on. He was the very last one to finish. It took him 1 hour and 45 minutes to complete.
August & October 2013
ESPN Feature
ESPN comes to our hometown to film Johnny and Jeff for their E:60 feature.
November 2013
The Final Mile
ESPN airs the E:60 feature presentation about Jeff & Johnny’s story called, “The Final Mile.”
August 2014
Aquinas College
Johnny enrolls as a Freshmen into Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, Michigan being awarded the prestigious Presidential Scholarship for grades and community service.
August 2015
Half-Ironman
TeamAgar does their first Half-Ironman, Ironman Steelhead 70.3 in St Joseph, Michigan.
October 2016
Ironman World Championship
TeamAgar is invited to participate in the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. They make it through the swim and 50 miles into the bike. Unable to make the bike cut-off, they are pulled from the course. Johnny was noted as saying, “Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.”
November 2016
Ironman Arizona
Jeff finishes Ironman Arizona per coach’s request as training to show he is capable of finishing an Ironman.
March 2017
“Rule Yourself”
Becki creates Johnny’s version of the Michael Phelps’ “Rule Yourself” commercial which went viral on social media. It soon got the attention of Michael Phelps
April 2017
Surprise
Under Armour throws a huge surprise launch party at the Knickerbocker in Grand Rapids, Michigan for Johnny and TeamAgar. With more than 300 in attendance, Under Armour surprises Johnny by airing his version of Michael Phelps’ “Rule Yourself” as a real commercial during a Detroit Tigers game.
August 2017
Ironman Boulder 70.3
TeamAgar competes in Ironman Boulder 70.3. Johnny’s walk across the finish line was shared by Under Armour and is one of the most viewed Under Armour videos.
November 2017
Under Armour Ambassadors
TeamAgar is invited to Under Armour headquarters where they are made part of the “Make You Famous” wall, and speak to the whole company. The event is MC’d by Sportscenter’s Scott Van Pelt. One of the other many highlights for the team was meeting with UA founder, Kevin Plank. Johnny and TeamAgar become Under Armour Ambassadors.
December 2017
Ironman Florida 70.3
After a pep call from Michael Phelps, TeamAgar finishes Ironman Florida 70.3 and is showcased on NBC Nightly News.
February 2018
“Will Finds a Way” Campaign
Johnny and TeamAgar are chosen to be in Under Armour’s “Will Finds a Way” campaign with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, among other well-known athletes. They fly to Los Angeles to film the commercial. David Droga, founder of advertising agency Droga5, later said Johnny was of the first athletes he had in mind to include in the spot.
April 2018
Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas #1
TeamAgar travels in style to Houston, Texas in Under Armour’s private corporate jet to participate in the Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas race. Unfortunately, they were unable to finish in part due to an unknown flat tire for 46 miles on the bike course.
July 2018
Challenge Roth
TeamAgar is invited to participate in the biggest triathlon in the world, Challenge Roth, in Roth, Germany.
January 2019
Disney World Marathon
TeamAgar is invited to compete in the Disney World Marathon. It was a full circle moment since Johnny had walked his first steps toward Mickey Mouse at Disney World over 20 years ago.
April 2019
Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas #2
TeamAgar tries again at the Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas race. They did not finish. A new athlete to triathlons crashed into them at an aid station catapulting Jeff off the bike and ruining their gears ending their race.
May 2019
Graduation
Johnny graduates Cum Laude with a dual major in Business Administration and Sport Management from Aquinas College with a minor in Communication.
June 2019
Memoir Begins
Johnny and Becki start to write a memoir based on Johnny’s journey through life with cerebral palsy.
August 2019
Ironman Traverse City 70.3
TeamAgar competes in Ironman Traverse City 70.3, Traverse City, Michigan.
December 2020
Challenge Daytona 70.3
TeamAgar competes in Challenge Daytona 70.3, Daytona Beach, Florida.
April 2021
Book Deal
Johnny and Becki sign a book deal with Dexterity Publishing to publish “The Impossible Mile: The Power in Living Life One Step at A Time.”
June 2021
Ironman Steelhead 70.3
TeamAgar participates in Ironman Steelhead 70.3, Benton Harbor, Michigan.
October 2021
Ironman Indiana
TeamAgar participates in Ironman Indiana. A torrential downpour of rain thwarts their opportunity at crossing the finish line.
October 2021
Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas #3
TeamAgar attempts Ironman Texas for a third time. The triple digit temperatures pulls them from the race before they could finish.
February 2022
Publix Half Marathon
TeamAgar participates in the Publix Half Marathon in Atlanta, Georgia with the Kyle Pease Foundation.
September 2022
Ironman Maryland
TeamAgar participates in Ironman Maryland and after five failed attempts, completes their first full Ironman with four minutes to spare on the clock. The video of Johnny crossing the finish line has over 35 million views.
June 2023
CBS Mornings
CBS Mornings show, via Peyton Manning, delivers the news that TeamAgar has been invited back to participate in the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii on October 26, 2024.