Most of us can’t do everything. We’re smart or we’re athletic, but rarely both. Chicago lawyer and CPA,  Joseph Shun Ravago, however, seems to break hard and fast rules. The Chicago attorney not only practices law at his own firm, but has taken on the triple threat of the Louisville Ironman competition.

A graduate of Loyola University Chicago School of Law, Shun (pronounced Shawn) completed his law degree in 1998, and was admitted to the Illinois State Bar. Before reaching this threshold, Shun took and passed his CPA exam in 1995 as he worked towards his degree.

Success, however, started much earlier for Shun. During his undergrad at Indiana University, he proved to be no slouch either. While many of us may struggle tirelessly to earn a college degree, Shun graduated with a Bachelors of Science degree in Business as a double major in Accounting and Finance, not to mention minors in Economics and Spanish.

Today, one of Shun’s challenges includes competing in the prestigious Ironman competition. For those among us who would rather spend out leisure time with the remote in hand, be warned that the Ironman is hardly for the weak of heart. The three-part race includes a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride, and ending with a grueling 26.2 mile run. Yes, you have less than a day to complete it, as contestants must turn in a time under 17 hours.

You can’t expect to just wake up one morning and participate in this agonizing test of endurance. Even after intensive training, athletes oftentimes do not finish the race in their first attempt. Mr. Ravago wrote with an air of irony in his blog, “I Will Be an Ironman” in 1997, “I appreciate all the emails and words of support that you have given me before and after the race. I am grateful to God and Our Lady that they delivered me home safely instead of being transported home in an ambulance.”

He continued, “Since I did not finish, my journey is incomplete and I started preparing for next year by registering for the 2009 Ironman in Louisville.” Perseverance paid off, and he completed the Ironman that year.

To find out more about Chicagoland lawyer, Mr. Ravago, go to Ravago & Associates, LLC.

Read more about Shun in the article, “Qualifications of an Attorney.”

Mr. Ravago also founded Guidingpoint Consulting, Inc. (scroll down), which works with home health agencies, hospice and other health care companies.