Graham Fraser has been a huge influence on the sport of triathlon in North America. After racing Kona at the age of 24 he went on to become a race organiser. This lead to the creation of North America Sport, the complany that ran Ironman in North America for a long time. In this months show he shares many of the experiences of building the Ironman Brand. It's a great listen.
THE THANYAPURA LEGENDS OF TRIATHLON EPISODE 13 - ROB BAREL
While Rob Barel isn't the most known athlete in the North America he was one of the best athletes in Europe in the 80's-90's. He won Nice, Almere and even competed in the first Olympic Triathlon at the age of 42! In this months show he shares many of the amazing experiences he had throughout his career.
THE THANYAPURA LEGENDS OF TRIATHLON EPISODE 12 - GORDON HALLER
This months guest will always get to say that he was the first ever Ironman winner! On this months show we have Gordon Haller, the first ever World Champ of Ironman Triathlon. He shares some great stories around the early days of the sport and reveals some information that many of us wouldn't have known about.
THE THANYAPURA LEGENDS OF TRIATHLON EPISODE 11 - KAREN SMYERS
Karen Smyers is a woman who is not just an amazing athlete but is also an amazing person. Here's a bit about her from her website, www.karensmyers.com:
Karen Smyers is one of the most versatile women in the history of triathlon. Over her professional career, she accumulated seven national triathlon titles (including six in a row), one national duathlon title, two world triathlon medals, and one victory at Ironman Kona. Her 1995 double of winning at Kona and returning two weeks later to capture the ITU triathlon world title is perhaps the single most remarkable achievement in the sport to date. Karen was also a Pan American Games gold medalist and a three-time USOC Triathlete of the Year. She continues to serve as an inspiration through her coaching, writing, speaking, and sharing her story of surviving cancer.
This month Karen shares her experiences with us.
LEGENDS OF TRIATHLON EPISODE 10 - MARK ALLEN
From Mark Allen Online: No triathlete has gained the recognition or success that Mark Allen has. After competing and losing in the Ironman Triathlon Championships six times, he emerged victorious in 1989, winning the most difficult one-day sporting event in the world.
It would be the first of six Ironman victories for Allen, the last coming in 1995 at age 37, making him the oldest champion ever. He has also excelled at the Olympic distance, winning the sport's inaugural World Championships in 1989 in Avignon, France, by more than a minute. He went undefeated in 10 trips to the Nice International Championships, and from 1988-1990 he put together a winning streak of 20 races.
Over the course of his racing career, which ended in 1996, he maintained a 90% average in top-three finishes. He was named Triathlete of the Year six times by Triathlete magazine, and in 1997 Outside magazine tabbed him The World's Fittest Man.
In this months show we talk to Mark about his whole career and what it took to be the greatest in such a hard sport.