USA Triathlon Announces Winners of 2021 Multisport Awards Presented By Wahoo Fitness

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA Triathlon today announced the seven recipients of its 2021 Multisport Awards Presented by Wahoo Fitness, an annual honor that recognizes USA Triathlon members who help fuel the multisport lifestyle through service, sportsmanship, and community contributions:

The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to USA Triathlon and the multisport lifestyle as a whole. These contributions, whether they have been in performance, leadership, volunteerism or mentorship, must demonstrate impact on the multisport lifestyle and an extended commitment to the sport.

The 2021 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Chuck Graziano (Ramsey, N.J.) has a long history of supporting and participating in triathlon and USA Triathlon. For the past seven years, Graziano has served as a member of the USA Triathlon Board of Directors. Prior to that, Graziano spent 14 years on the USA Triathlon Age Group Committee, including several years as the Committee Chair. He was a key player in the creation of the USA Triathlon Hall of Fame and the Hall of Fame banquet. 

Graziano was an early advocate for creating the multisport format of aquabike (swim-bike), which attracted a new audience of athletes to the sport. An accomplished multisport athlete himself, Graziano is a multiple-time member of age group Team USA and has competed in more than 300 multisport events.

This award is presented annually in honor of Doug Clark, a decorated triathlete and multi-time masters national champion who inspired others through his dedication and commitment to sport, humility, ability to inspire others, ambassadorship for the sport and high standards of ethical behavior on and off the field of competition. He passed away in 2016.

The recipient of the 2021 Doug Clark Sportsmanship Award is Amy Rappaport (Califon, N.J.), a longtime age group triathlete and multiple-time member of Team USA. She is a regular on the podium at World Triathlon World Championship events, but for Rappaport, the life of a triathlete is more than just competitions. She is dedicated to helping others at multisport events, whether as a volunteer to cheer on other racers, or to provide a supportive and kind word to other fellow athletes. Rappaport can often be found handing out water or fuel at aid stations, during registration, and at points along the course cheering on participants. She exemplifies sportsmanlike conduct at its best and provides positive support to help others succeed.

U.S. Marine Master Sergeant Morgon Latimore (Jacksonville, N.C.) is the recipient of the 2021 Military Sport Award, which recognizes the multisport successes achieved by the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces as they pursue the triathlon lifestyle, while simultaneously meeting the high standards and work ethic required to fulfill their oaths as members of the military community.

A U.S. Marine who served two tours in Afghanistan, Latimore is a multisport athlete, coach, race director, motivational speaker, author, podcaster and an all-around source of inspiration across his long multisport career. Known by many athletes as “The People’s Coach,” Latimore coaches his athletes through his powerful communication style and genuine hands-on approach to help people realize and capitalize on their own undiscovered talents. Said one of Latimore’s athletes: “He is not just a coach, but he is a life mentor and a guru who takes care of the emotional, psychological, and attitudinal aspects of an individual. It's not about training and athletes for him, he mentors a whole person and has every intention to carve out the best from his mentees. I see it in his attitude and coaching style.” To learn more about Latimore’s coaching and his books and podcast, visit his website at morgonlatimore.com.

This award commemorates Jeff Jewell, a massage therapist for USA Triathlon’s age-group Team USA from 2001-2009. Jewell, who passed away from brain cancer in November 2010, was one of life’s biggest cheerleaders and was an inspiration to everyone he met. The award is given each year to an athlete who gives back to the sport outside of competitions and is considered a role model to other athletes, particularly youth.

Exemplifying these qualities is 2021 Jeff Jewell Spirit Award recipient Kimee Armour (Auburn, Ill.). An age-group Team USA member since 2017, Armour is an annual competitor at USA Triathlon National Championship events and an enthusiastic ambassador for growing participation in multisport for adult and youth athletes. In 2021, Armour raised more than $10,000 for the USA Triathlon Foundation as a Foundation Ambassador. Her efforts helped support the Foundation’s mission of transforming lives through sport by opening pathways for all to swim, bike, and run. She also helps introduce the sport to youth by coordinating an annual YMCA kids triathlon in her community. On the racecourse, you’ll often find Armour cheering and supporting other competitors and displaying an inspiring “never quit” attitude when she races.

The Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes an individual or organization whose volunteer leadership has been transformative and has mobilized and unified athletes, programs and organizations in the multisport community. The recipient of the 2021 Volunteer of the Year Award is Judi Carbary (Del Mar, Calif.).

An active member of the USA Triathlon Duathlon Committee (recently renamed the Multisport Committee) since 2006, Carbary in 2021 created the USA Triathlon Multisport Committee Facebook page to share USA Triathlon news, connect USA Triathlon members and promote and educate the various multisport disciplines, which include aquabike (swim-bike), aquathlon (swim-run), duathlon (run-bike-run), off-road triathlon and winter triathlon. Since launching, the online community has grown to more than 1,400 members. A longtime multisport athlete, Carbary is also a Race Director for the San Diego Kids Splash & Dash and is a USA Triathlon Certified Coach.

Wolf Hillesheim (El Sobrante, Calif.) is the recipient of the 2021 Most Inspirational Comeback Award, which recognizes athletes who have made a comeback to the sport after a traumatic or troublesome personal situation. A long-time member of age-group Team USA, Hillesheim has participated in 20 World Triathlon World Championship events, and dozens of national, regional, and local races. A former USA Triathlon Grand Masters Duathlete of the Year, Hillesheim sustained serious injuries from a bike crash in 2018 that required surgery and wearing a neck brace for 83 days. Despite this, Hillesheim was back to running and biking three months after the accident, and returned to competition in 2019, including USA Triathlon Duathlon National Championships and World Triathlon World Championships. Not only an accomplished multisport athlete, Hillesheim is also owner and Race Director for Wolf Pack Events and organizes several USA Triathlon Sanctioned multisport events every year.

The Mike Greer Spirit of Multisport Award honors recognizes those individuals who illustrate the principles of the positive spirit of the sport as displayed through acts of sportsmanship and leadership in multisport, with no deference to athletic ability. The award is named in honor of Mike Greer, who passed away in July of 2021. Greer dedicated his life to multisport as an athlete, race director, official, volunteer, author, speaker, coach, mentor and innovator across a nearly four-decade career.

The 2021 Mike Greer Spirit of Multisport Award goes to Katie McCully (Eastham, Mass.), a multiple time national champion in triathlon, aquathlon and aquabike. A member of age-group Team USA, McCully “represents all that is good in the multisport community,” friends say, and “has always exuded class and grace and epitomizes what outstanding sportsmanship looks like.” She goes out of her way to help others and offer assistance to those who are not as familiar with competing at regional, national and world levels, her nominator said. McCully competes in local USA Triathlon Sanctioned races in her community, including fundraising events that support their local community, veterans, and cancer centers.

For more information about the USA Triathlon Multisport Awards, and to view all past recipients, visit usatriathlon.org/multisportawards.