Triathlon: Eight professional triathletes join the Ironman North America Community Fund Team

CLERMONT, Fla.-Eight top professional triathletes, including current Ironman World Champion Lori Bowden (Canada) and former Ironman World Champion Heather Fuhr (Canada), have become members of the Ironman North America Community Fund Team.

Tied directly to the Ironman North America Community Fund, the Ironman North America Community Fund Team concept acts as a reward to athletes who have contributed to the Ironman Community Fund. Once an Ironman North America event is full, athletes are given the option of purchasing a Community Fund spot at that event for $1,000. Ironman North America has partnered with sponsors Janus Capital Group and Degree to form the team.

The Ironman Community Fund provides a financial opportunity for Ironman North America to help those in the community who support our events, with a heavy emphasis on providing sports opportunities for children. Highlighting the pro team are Bowden and Fuhr, who have combined to win 25 Ironman events in their careers, including three Ironman world titles.

One of the most prolific Ironman athletes in history, Bowden has won 12 Ironman titles in her career, third most all-time, including a pair of Ironman World Championship titles (1999 and 2003). Besides her two Ironman World titles, the Canadian standout has also finished second at the World Championship in both 2000 and 2001 and is one of only four women ever to break the nine-hour mark in an Ironman event. Bowden also has claimed five Subaru Ironman Canada titles (1997-2000 and 2002) and remains a fan favorite at the Penticton event.

Fuhr is currently second all-time on the Ironman victory list, having claimed 13 Ironman events in her career, behind only Ironman legend Paula Newby-Fraser.

The Canadian standout, still one of the top female competitors in Ironman triathlon, earned her only Ironman World Championship title back in 1997 in Kona, Hawaii. Among her other wins are four victories at Ironman USA Lake Placid (1999, 2001, 2002 and 2003) and an Ironman California title (2000). Five other triathletes, Amanda Gillam (Boulder, Colo.), Andrea Fisher (Austin, Texas), Jamie Cleveland (Canada), Luke Bell (Australia), Chris Legh (Australia) and Chris Lieto (Danville, Calif.) will join Bowden and Fuhr as pros on the Ironman North America Community Fund Team.

Gillam is one of a number of up and coming female Ironman performers from the U.S. The 31-year-old Gillam posted her best performance at an Ironman one year ago by placing fourth at the Ironman Wisconsin triathlon held in September in Madison, Wisc.

Fisher has been a staple at Ironman North America events over the past four seasons, posting five top-five finishes, including a career best second-place finish at Ironman Florida back in 2000.

Cleveland (who is married to Fisher) has also been a regular at Ironman North America events over the past five seasons.

Cleveland won an Ironman title in November of 2000 by claiming the Ironman Florida title with an overall time of 8:37:58. 2002 saw Cleveland post a fourth-place finish at the inaugural Ironman Wisconsin triathlon held in September in Madison, Wisc.

Bell burst onto the Ironman scene in impressive fashion in 2003, placing third at Ironman Australia and then ending his year in fine fashion with a fifth-place overall finish at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii in October.

Legh has also posted an Ironman win in his career, claiming the Ironman California title back in 2000.

The 31-year-old has also registered a pair of top-ten finishes at the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, as well as six top-three Ironman finishes in his career.

Legh was second at the inaugural Ironman Wisconsin triathlon held in September 2002 at Madison, Wisc. and was fourth at the Ironman Florida triathlon in November of 2002.

Lieto posted the first Ironman win of his career at the inaugural Ironman Wisconsin triathlon held in Madison, Wisc. in September of 2002.

The 32-year-old Lieto finished second at the fifth annual Ironman USA Lake Placid triathlon in July of 2003 and in doing so captured the US Ironman Championship title. Lieto was also 13th overall at the Ironman World Championship in October.

Professional members of the Ironman Community Fund team will race at Ironman North America events throughout the year, give pro seminars at the various race expos, and will take part in various programs with amateur members of the Ironman Community Fund Team.

“Adding professional to the Ironman North America Community Fund team provides a unique opportunity for age groupers to be more involved with some of the top professionals in Ironman,” said Ironman North America President Graham Fraser. “The whole team concept is added value to those athletes who have supported the Ironman North America Community Fund.”

All athletes who purchase an Ironman North America Community Fund spot for an Ironman North America event will automatically become a member of the Ironman North America team. As a team member, athletes will receive a logoed racing uniform and other apparel and will receive special seating at Ironman North America banquets. A special function will also be set up for Ironman North America Team athletes at each event with professional Ironman North America team members.

For more information on the Ironman North America Community Fund Team, contact Sue Fraser at communityfund@ironmanusa.com. A very limited number of Ironman North America Community Fund spots remain available for each of the 2004 Ironman North America events. Community Fund spots fill very quickly, so athletes who are interested are urged to sign up quickly to avoid being closed out. For more information, or to register, log onto www.ironmannorthamerica.com If you need further information, contact the Ironman North America Athlete Service Center at (352) 243-0948 or via e-mail at admin@ironmanusa.com.