More than US$100,000 was raised to support the USA Triathlon Foundation during the 2022 BOA USA Triathlon Foundation Gala and Hall of Fame Induction, which was attended by more than 250 people on Thursday, August 4 at Discovery World in Milwaukee.
The evening served as the formal induction and celebration of USA Triathlon’s Hall of Fame Class XI – Laura Bennett, Lesley Cens-McDowell, Gwen Jorgensen and Robert Plant.
As the charitable arm of USA Triathlon, the foundation supports the multisport community through charitable givebacks and grants that… ‘advance its three pillars: encourage youth participation, inspire adaptive athletes and ignite Olympic/Paralympic dreams.’
“Together we can create opportunities for kids to be active and build healthy habits, add the definition of ‘athlete’ – with words like ‘determination’, ‘strength’ and ‘discipline’ – to a person’s identity, and bring home Olympic and Paralympic medals,” said USA Triathlon Foundation President and Chief Advancement Officer Dr Gabe Cagwin.
Founded in 2008, the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame has recognized the best performances and contributions in the sport’s history, dating back to its origins in 1974.
‘It recognizes, honours and commemorates individuals, groups and entities who demonstrate excellence in multisport and inspire others to elevate their performance, participation and involvement in multisport in their communities.’
Gwen Jorgensen – elite athlete (Boulder, CO)
A Wisconsin native and an All-American track and cross-country runner for the University of Wisconsin, Jorgensen, 35, won the USA’s first Olympic gold medal in triathlon at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. In 2017, she announced she was pursuing a bold new goal: win an Olympic gold medal in the marathon.
Laura Bennett – elite athlete (Boulder, CO)
A two-time Olympian, Bennett, 46, took fourth at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and finished 17th at the London 2012 Olympic Games. Today, she and her husband, Australian Olympic triathlete Greg Bennett, own and operate Bennett Endurance High Performance, based in Boulder, Colorado.
Lesley Cens-McDowell – age group athlete (West Chester, PA / Holualoa, HI)
A long-time age-group triathlete, Cens-McDowell, 75, has won multiple triathlon races of all distances, including age group wins at the IRONMAN World Championship in Kona, IRONMAN 70.3, as well as Olympic distance, and sprint triathlons. She was also named USA Triathlon’s Master Triathlete of the year in 1991.
Robert Plant – age group athlete (Woodside, CA)
Plant, 78, is one of the most decorated age group multisport athletes in the world. He has won several USA Triathlon age group national titles including seven Olympic-distance triathlon titles, two standard-distance duathlon (run-bike-run) titles and four aquathlon (swim-run) titles.
The USA Triathlon Foundation Gala and Hall of Fame Induction was made possible by support from its sponsors: BOA, presenting partner; TicketSocket, bronze partner; and The Vice Wine, in-kind partner.
www.usatriathlonfoundation.org
