COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — Top age-grouper Missy LeStrange, groundbreaking paratriathlete Jim MacLaren and the iconic Julie Moss comprise the fifth induction class of the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame, the multisport National Governing Body announced today.
The three inductees will be honored at a banquet Thursday, April 18 at the Bahia Resort Hotel in San Diego to open the ITU World Triathlon San Diego race weekend. Tickets to this exclusive event, which has sold out in each of the past four years, are on sale now via Active.com.
Individual tickets are on sale for $65 until March 19 and include access to a cocktail reception, dinner and the inductee presentation. Ten-seat corporate or sponsor tables also are available for $555 until March 19. After March 19, prices increase to $75 for an individual ticket and $750 for a 10-seat table. Information and registration questions should be directed to ellis.schieman@usatriathlon.org.
Tickets will be available until April 14 or until the 250-attendee limit is reached.
“We are honored to add these three remarkable individuals to the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame. They each played an instrumental role in elevating triathlon to where it is today,” said Chuck Graziano, chair of the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame Committee. “It is fitting that we will induct these three multisport pioneers in San Diego — the birthplace of the sport.”
The USA Triathlon Hall of Fame was founded in 2008, and this year’s class will bring the total number of inductees to 22. Visit usatriathlon.org for more information on the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame.
The USA Triathlon Hall of Fame induction ceremony will kick off the second ITU World Triathlon San Diego race weekend. One of just eight ITU World Triathlon Series events around the globe in 2013, the ITU World Triathlon San Diego will again feature an Olympic-caliber elite field competing on a historic course adjacent to the birthplace of the sport.
In addition to the elite races, the event features Olympic- and sprint-distance age-group races, as well as an Olympic-distance relay and an aquabike event. More than 2,100 amateur triathletes competed at the 2012 ITU World Triathlon San Diego. Visit sandiego.triathlon.org for more information on the 2013 event.
About this year’s USA Triathlon Hall of Fame inductees:
Missy LeStrange (Age-Group Triathlete)
Introduced to triathlon by her masters swim coach, the legendary Dave Scott, Missy LeStrange went on to post a decorated career as an age-grouper following her first race in 1980. The three-time USA Triathlon Masters Triathlete of the Year (1994, 1995, 1997) honoree won 14 age-group titles at the Ironman World Championship, two USA Triathlon Age Group National Championship titles and an Olympic-distance age-group world title. LeStrange also served as a member of the USA Triathlon Age-Group Committee from 1992-97 and helped develop a number of organizational programs empowering youth, women, seniors and paratriathletes. She is currently a member of the USA Triathlon History Project.
Jim MacLaren (Contributor)
Jim MacLaren is considered by many to be the forefather of the sport of paratriathlon. After his left leg was amputated below the knee following a 1985 accident, MacLaren finished the 1989 Ironman Hawaii in 10 hours, 42 minutes — a record that stood for 11 years. A second accident, this one at the 1993 Orange County Ironman, left MacLaren a quadriplegic. A fundraiser for MacLaren following the second accident led to the creation of the Challenged Athletes Foundation, which has raised over $40 million to help disabled athletes stay in the game of life through sport. The winner of the ESPN’s Arthur Ashe Courage Award in 2005, MacLaren passed away in August 2010. The growth of paratriathlon and its inclusion in the 2016 Paralympic Games is a testament to his legacy.
Julie Moss (Contributor)
Broadcast across the nation on ABC’s “Wide World of Sports,” Julie Moss’ crawl to the finish line of the 1982 Ironman World Championship endures as one of triathlon’s most iconic moments. Determined to finish second in the race after collapsing 15-feet short of the finish and being passed by winner Kathleen McCartney, Moss inspired thousands of athletes around the globe to compete in the sport during its infancy. After racing competitively as an elite, Moss continued to contribute to the sport as a broadcaster and motivational speaker. Moss returned to compete in Kona last year alongside McCartney to celebrate the 30th anniversary of this memorable moment. Moss and McCartney also recently collaborated to form a motivational speaking company, Iron Icons: Inspirational Speakers.
USA Triathlon Hall of Fame Inductees by Class:
2008
Judy Flannery
Jon Gray Noll
Verne Scott
Karen Smyers
Sheila Taormina
2009
Jim Curl
Barb Lindquist
Paula Newby-Fraser
Valerie Silk
Carl Thomas
2010
Susan Bradley-Cox
Dave McGillivray
Dave Scott
2011
Mark Allen
Ethel Autorino
Bob Babbitt
Sally Edwards
Scott Molina
Scott Tinley
2012
Missy LeStrange
Jim MacLaren
Julie Moss
English
