2008 Triathlete of the Year - Stephanie Liles

It’s always nice to be at the Awards Ceremony and recognize the great work and effort by members of such a great club. We truly are fortunate to be surrounded by wonderful and remarkable people. Thank you for what each of you do for the club.

Felton, Jamie and I have directed the Red Hills Kids Triathlon for the past 10 years. With the support of the Tri club and GWTC we started the race to encourage the youth of our community to experience the fun of Triathlons and develop a pattern of life-long fitness. I am pleased to recognize the 2008 GWTC Triathlete of the Year, a very talented and great athlete who discovered Triathlons at the Kids Tri. This individual has grown into a hard-working and disciplined multi-event and multi-distance Triathelete. 

A successful triahtlete will spend many hours developing a base in 3 different sports and then through long training sessions and many miles of hard work, will transform that work into podium finishes. To me, it is rewarding to think that it all started with a 200 yard swim, 3 mile bike and 1 mile run.

Our nominee has done just that with the miles of hard work in the pool, miles on the bike and more miles on the road and then delivers some very impressive numbers. Of the 12 triathlons entered, our winner had ten 1st place finishes, yes 10, and two 4th place finishes! A truly great year which reinforces the concept that dedication, persistence, training, and the company of fun training partners, will help you deliver at the finish line. 

But in life, numbers never tell the whole story of a warm and caring athlete. One who gracefully encourages others while minimizing their own achievements. One who gives back to our younger generation through volunteer hours. One who bends to the demands of a full time job, children, and endearing relationships with a significant other, friends and more. The hours that we pour into our communal life that could be spent training. 

I mentioned that our winner got their start at the Kids Tri and she did. She watched her sons enter the race and have a great time. It was then that she said she wanted to do Triathlons. And she has since dominated the local, state national and international arena. 

Please join me in welcoming Stephanie Liles as the 2008 Triathlete of the Year.