The season may be winding down, but Freeplay athletes aren’t done yet.
To kick off the fall, Mary Tanner came back from a nasty (really nasty) bout of poison oak to finish both Coeur d’Alene 70.3 and Ironman CDA. We’re expecting her to be fully recovered for her last big race, Ironman Arizona in November!
Pam Goodley wrapped up her season — thankfully before she broke her arm — with a 4th place finish in her age group at Santa Cruz 70.3. She toughed out the popular, competitive and cold race with her signature smile. Go get ’em!
Heading out to try and catch up!
While we have four athletes headed to Kona for the Ironman World Championships, those aren’t the only world championships on the Freeplay schedule. First up, Elise went down to Cozumel (with the whole family in tow) for the ITU World Championships. She marched in the parade of nations, proudly showed off her American colors — and, of course, the Freeplay spade — and then took 9th her age group on a hot day. That makes her one of the ten best Olympic distance athletes in her age group in the world. We think she deserves that beach-side vacation she’s taking now.
Elise representing for America.
Now, all eyes are turning to Hawaii. Kimberly is prepping for the Xterra World Championships in Maui at the end of October. As our resident dirt girl and expert mountain biker, she should be dominant at that other big race in our 50th state.
Before Xterra, though, the triathlon world will first turn its eyes to the Big Island, where Kelly, Sara, Jaimee and Freeplay ambassador Christine will all be racing in the Ironman World Championships. Both Christine and Jaimee qualified with a late race at Ironman Canada, where Pam also took fourth in her age group. Jaimee, our youngin’, won her young age group in her first Ironman ever. When she started doing triathlon just two years ago, completing an Ironman and qualifying for Kona was a long-term goal. Well, she’s already knocked that off the list. And Christine followed up a performance at Ironman Wisconsin in the fall, where she missed qualifying for Kona by 55 seconds (!!), with a second place in the age group and fourth overall woman.
Jaimee in front of the ugly Ironman Canada course.
After resting up, Jaimee and Christine will join Kelly and Sara in Hawaii. They’ve all been busy training this summer and are ready to wrap up the season with the best in the world. After third place in her age group at Vineman 70.3 this summer, Sara’s actually finishing up her season with the double-header — racing in both the 70.3 and Ironman world championships. Kelly didn’t race the 70.3 championships in Australia, but she did cheer on her teammates. And, after a second overall at Whistler 70.3 and finishing as the third amateur at Vineman 70.3, she mostly has just been training, training, training.
Now it’s time to finish this season in true Freeplay fashion!
