TriColumbia, the Mid-Atlantic’s premier endurance event production company, has confirmed that its Founder, CEO and Race Director, Robert ‘Vigo’ Vigorito, will retire after three decades with the organization.
Vigorito, a 6-time Hawaii Ironman finisher, founded the Columbia Triathlon Association, later renamed TriColumbia, in 1986, with a vision to produce endurance events at the highest levels of challenge, safety and integrity – in addition to making a lasting and rewarding experience and contribution to endurance athletes and their community.
In turn, TriColumbia grew to become a leader in endurance event production in the Mid-Atlantic region, and the US. Incorporated as a non-profit organization in 1988, four years after the inaugural Columbia Triathlon was launched, TriColumbia brought the triathlon movement to the Mid-Atlantic region, and to the East Coast of the US.
In the early 1980s, Vigorito assisted in the establishment of a governing body for triathlon, known then as Tri-Fed USA, a precursor to today’s USA Triathlon (USAT), the current sanctioning authority for more than 4,000 endurance events nationwide across the US.
In 1993, Vigorito co-founded the current USA Triathlon Mid-Atlantic Region, and today still serves as the Mid-Atlantic Council Chair.
Triathlon then became an Olympic sport, debuting in 2000 at the Sydney Australia Summer Games. Vigo was recognized in 2001 by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) for a remarkable contribution as a ‘volunteer to the development of sport and Olympism and to the promotion of friendship and solidarity among peoples.’
“My retirement is bittersweet because TriColumbia has been such a wonderful and profound part of my life,” said Vigorito.
“I am extremely proud of what we have built, and now I look forward to having the opportunity to spend more time with family and to pursue and continue other related passions, including USAT Governance and working with challenged triathletes and special charitable causes, among them the Blazeman Foundation, the cancer survivor community, and children directly – to help them and all to achieve their goals and dreams through a healthy lifestyle.”
Rudy Gil, Chair of TriColumbia’s Board of Directors, added, “Vigo is a legend in the multisport world, and we are very happy for him as he enters into yet another phase of his life. A presence like Robert Vigorito cannot be replaced, but we look forward to continuing the history and growth of TriColumbia in the years ahead.”
Vigorito will be honored by TriColumbia on 19 May 2013 prior to the 30th running of the Columbia Triathlon, one of the longest running, most challenging, and widely acclaimed triathlons in the US.
