Posted: July 23, 2006

Triathlon: Desiree Ficker Wins Inaugural RYKA Iron Girl Texas Triathlon

Sunday, July 23, 2006 - Texas' own Desiree Ficker placed first at today's RYKA Iron Girl Texas Triathlon in Irving. Ficker, a top finisher on the Ironman circuit, crossed the finish line with a time of 1:02:23. While Ficker dominated today's event, more than 580 women of all ages and fitness levels participated in the inaugural event that took women on a 500 Meter swim, 20K bike and 5K run through scenic Las Colinas. In fact, today's participants ran alongside the world famous Las Colinas Stallions sculpture. Today's event drew women from more than 15 states around the U.S. including Texas, Florida, Georgia, Minnesota, Arizona, Illinois and Colorado. The city of Irving greeted the event and the field with Texas-sized hospitality, with Mayor Herbert Gears kicking off the event and Irving's Convention & Visitors Bureau providing volunteers throughout the event weekend.

At the finish line with a smile from ear to ear, Ficker said, "I really enjoyed today's race. To be racing among all women and to see how supportive they were with each other was truly incredible. The support I received on the course made this a great experience."

The other Armstrong in Texas, local amateur Shanna Armstrong had a solid performance with a finish time of 1:14:41. Lisa Panchasarp, 24, of Dallas added another triathlon to her growing list with a finish time of 1:29:30.

Today's top ten results are as follows:

1.	Dana Chance	Tulsa, OK	1:09:07
2.	Sheila Natho	Dallas, TX	1:10:51
3.	Lori Donovan	Arlington, TX	1:10:59
4.	Caitlyn Hannah	Dallas, TX	1:11:06
5.	Tracy Harrison	Dallas, TX	1:12:23
6.	Sally Sonnier	Benbrook, TX	1:13:27
7.	Allison Semrau	Dallas, TX	1:13:47
8.	Carolyn Taylor	Duncanville, TX	1:14:00
9.	Elizabeth Whitehead	Houston, TX	1:14:10
10.	Martha Royale	Edmond, OK	1:14:21

To create a unique experience for all women, Iron Girl included amenities for all finishers such as complimentary performance shirts sized just for women, finishers medals and customized race bibs. Triathlon event veterans Mike and Marti Greer who worked with the teams from RYKA and Iron Girl on today's event added their own personal touches with custom age group awards. A portion of today's event proceeds will be donated to a local charitable organization, Brighter Tomorrows.

The Iron Girl brand offers several distinct components to include an Interactive Web site, and Team Iron Girl. The Web site offers resources such as training tips, message boards and nutrition information to help women achieve their goals of being fit and maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Team Iron Girl serves as an online community that gives women the opportunity to communicate and support one another through success stories, monthly newsletters and features on leading an active lifestyle.

For more information on Iron Girl or to view race results, visit www.IronGirl.com.

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