May 19, 6:15 a.m. on a chilly, overcast morning in Morro Bay, California, 1,500 people plunged into 57-degree water equipped with wetsuits, goggles and Garmin watches as they prepared to begin an hours-long journey that would test both their bodies and minds. Seven Santa Clara students were among them, hoping to soon cross the Ironman finish line. And no, this “Ironman” has nothing to do with Robert Downey Jr’s Marvel character or Black Sabbath’s hit song; these seven students completed something far more impressive–a roughly 70-mile triathlon race.

Split into three segments–starting with a 1.2-mile swim, followed by a grueling 56-mile bike ride and topped off with a half-marathon run of 13.1 miles– the Ironman is an event many people can only dream of completing. Or, rather, something that would often warrant a “no way” after hearing the race parameters. The Ironman is a physically and mentally daunting journey–and even a financial one, too. Equipment costs, entry fees and training expenses can add up quickly, making being able to compete especially difficult for college students on a budget.

The seven students– junior Cooper Glenn, sophomores Greg Mackintosh, Luke Sheehan, Peter Skinner, Ronan Karp and Simon Gold, plus freshman Sean Cronin– spent most of this school year training for the race. Aided by the Bay Area’s mostly sunny and tolerable climate, they were able to swim, bike and run nearly whenever they wanted. Impressively, not one of them had even attempted a triathlon before.

As full-time college students, their daily schedules became more difficult trying to balance training, schoolwork and social life. But that’s not all; they were also competing for a cause. The squad raised a collective $5,641 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, aiming to make a difference while competing in the Ironman.

Training was all fun and games until about two months before the race. It was fun to say that they were getting ready for an Ironman until it became real. That is when the group really started to realize the reality in front of them.

Cronin said, “[Peter] Skinner and I kept saying that we could not believe that we were actually doing this.”

Everyone started to change their sleep schedule, eating habits and begrudgingly had to limit themselves from the social scene for the weeks leading up to the race. But, the nerves truly started to set in when they made the trek down to the Central Coast. A 3:30 a.m. wake-up that Sunday morning made them realize it was go time. Sophomore Ronan Karp said, “It was hard to eat breakfast that morning.” There was no going back now.

All seven agreed vehemently that the most difficult part of the race was the swim. Given one word to describe it, Sheehan said, “mayhem.” Nearly 400 people– 31% of the field–were pulled by Ironman officials because of the strong currents making the bay potentially dangerous for participants. Glenn described the environment as, “a war in the water.” Nearly all of their pre-race water training was done in a pool–an environment far different from the daunting open-water journey.

The only uncontrollable aspect of the race–mother nature–found a way to further challenge these athletes in a way none of them predicted. Gold noted, “It’s not just a swim–it sets the tone for the rest of the race, We weren’t expecting to burn that many calories and get that tired so it made the whole race much harder.”

But, despite the terrifying swim, all seven triumphantly crossed the finish line. It was a pure joy none of them could have ever imagined.

“Was the biggest accomplishment of my life,” said Gold. “Crossing that finish line with my best friends is something I will cherish forever.”

The group held each other accountable for 28 straight weeks, and it paid off in a big way. The Ironman this crew completed was a 70.3-mile race, half of the original 140.6-mile Ironman.

When asked if they would ever consider doing another Ironman, Gold said, “100%. I think the whole group [will do] a full one.” Needless to say, it seems like this group is not going to stop– they have their sights set on something even bigger in the future.