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Sally Edwards inspires woman to access
their inner athlete
by Donna Gordon Blankinship
Associated Press Writer
Seattle Pi | September 22nd, 2007
SEATTLE-- Sally has come in last place 115 times at the Danskin
Women's Triathlon.
This world-class athlete and member of the Triathlon Hall of
Fame hasn't found the sprint-length woman's triathlon - a half-mile
swim, 12-mile bike ride and 3 mile run - especially difficult.
She intentionally follows the last person over the finish line
so that no amateur athlete has to carry that distinction home
with her.
It's part of her campaign to encourage every woman to discover
her inner athlete. If the about 4,500 woman participating in
the Seattle leg of the eight-city even this year is any indication,
all kinds of woman are getting the message.
Edwards has participated in every race since Danskin started
the multi-city tradition in 1990 as the event's head cheerleader,
spokeswoman, and chief loser.
"It's been the most valuable work I've done," she said as thousands
prepared to jump into the bracing waters of Lake Washington
at the start of this year's Seattle event. "Helping hundreds
of thousands of women cross that finish line is the most important
thing I could have done in my life."
She has also written dozens of books on health and fitness,
completed in sporting events from triathlons to snowshoeing
and long distance bike races and started businesses that help
people get fit.
As a testing ground for elite athletes, the sport of triathlon
gained in popularity in the 1980s. Some of these more competitive
races - 1.5 mile swim, 40 kilometer bike and 10 kilometer run
- are used to pick the U.S. Olympic team.
The "sprint distance" triathlon - at less than half the distance
- was developed later in the decade. Edwards is insistent that
any woman can complete the shorter event - any size, any shape,
any age. The age range in this year's eight cities was 14 to
about 80.
She says all it takes is a little training.
"Danskin gives them the permission, the opportunity to be an
athlete," she said.
In 2007, Danskin ran triathlons at Walt Disney World near Orlando,
Fla., in San Dimas, Clif., Austin, Texas, Pleasant Prairie,
Wisc., Denver, Colo., Webster, Mass., Seattle and Sandy Hook,
N.J.
She said the goose bumps woman feel at the beginning of the
swim come back at the end of the race when a volunteer hangs
a medal around each participant's neck and says, "you are a
triathlete."
"It is like being anointed... it is a christening, a right of
passage that you're an athlete, that you've come back in touch
with who you really are," Edwards said.
The event is more about fun than competition for most participants,
with teams of friends wearing matching t-shirts with saying
like "Too Hot to Handle."
Although every participant is given a medal, special awards
are given for the top three finishers in each age group, as
well as a first place team awards in each rely division. Women
can participate in relay groups of two or three.
Danskin gives special attention to cancer survivors who participate
in the event, but the event is not focused on fundraising. Starting
in 2006, however, participants could choose to collect pledges
with donations divided equally between the National Association
of TEAM Survivor and The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.
On the Web:
Danskin Women's Triathlon: http://danskin.com/triathlon.html
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