USA Triathlon Honors Winners Of 2022 Multisport Awards Presented By Wahoo Fitness
by USA Triathlon
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA Triathlon today recognizes the eight recipients of its 2022 Multisport Awards Presented by Wahoo Fitness, an annual honor that honors USA Triathlon members who help fuel the multisport lifestyle through service, sportsmanship, and community contributions.
Multisport Award winners and Athlete of the Year winners were honored at the 2023 USA Triathlon Foundation Gala and Hall of Fame Induction, which was attended by more than 430 people on Aug. 3 at Discovery World in Milwaukee.
2022 Multisport Award Winners
Lifetime Achievement Award: Ray Campeau
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to USA Triathlon and the multisport lifestyle. 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 2022 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient, Ray Campeau, has participated in the sport of triathlon from its early days in the 1980s. He has competed in more than 500 triathlons with at least one race a year since 1980, and has been a sponsored Power Bar team member. In addition to racing, Campeau has been a race director for the Jersey Man Triathlon, a long-standing Olympic-distance race in New Jersey.
Campeau has also co-founded multiple triathlon teams — Ridgewood Triathlon Team, XL Triathlon Team and is the leader of TMB Racing. He is also one of the co-founders of the Clydesdale movement and division and has volunteered on several USA Triathlon committees.
Volunteer of the Year: Hector Torres
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 2022 Volunteer of the Year award winner, Torres has been a strong advocate for triathlon for many years as evidenced by his multiple nominations from friends and athletes. He serves as a mentor and coach for the Central Florida Triathlon Club, is instrumental in bringing awareness for equity in triathlon, particularly for intellectually impaired athletes. Torres is described by one of his nominators as a “leader with a brilliant mind and generous heart.”
Most Inspirational Comeback Award: Denise Allen
Denise Allen is the recipient of the Most Inspirational Comeback Award, which recognizes athletes who have made a comeback to the sport after a traumatic or troublesome personal situation. In 2013, Allen was hit by a car on her bike while training for IRONMAN Lake Placid. She sustained multiple injuries which resulted in multiple surgeries and years of physical therapy. This did not sideline her, and her goal was to not only race again, but to podium at 70.3 and the Olympic-distance races. She did just that in 2022, qualifing for the IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship in Utah and the 2023 World Triathlon Age-Group Championships in Pontevedra. As a teacher, Allen encourages her students to have tenacity and perseverance and to “align their own compass and create a roadmap” for their future endeavors.
Doug Clark Sportsmanship Award: Patty Peoples
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 2022 Doug Clark Sportsmanship Award is Patty Peoples, a longtime multisport athlete, coach, race director and USA Triathlon Committee member. Described as a cheerleader and an ambassador to the multisport lifestyle, Peoples has spread the word how much the sport has influenced her life and she feels it is her duty to “Pay it Forward” by helping others. She has been heavily involved with local outreach and has held many successful “All Things Multisport” clinics at a variety of events throughout Southern California.
Mike Greer Spirit of Multisport: Steve Hare
The Mike Greer Spirit of Multisport Award 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 2022 Mike Greer Spirit of Multisport Award goes to USA Triathlon race director Steve Hare. His races, known as Vermont Sun, are high-quality, safe races with a beautiful venue at Lake Dunmore. For years, his safe and user-friendly triathlons have introduced many athletes, including youth, to the sport of triathlon. Hare has been involved with triathlon since the mid-1990s, creating one of the first multi-day races, Earth Journey, which was modeled after the Ultraman in Hawaii. Even with two hip replacements and a successful fitness business, Hare could let it go like so many others, but he persists and deserves recognition for his longstanding commitment to keeping triathlon in Vermont. His longtime contribution to the racing community mirror’s Mike Greer’s commitment to triathlon.
Military Award: Carolyn Riggs and Kyle Warrick
The Military Sport Award 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. The 2022 Military Sport Award winners, LTJG Carolyn Riggs and HM3 Kyle Warrick, are leaders and serve the U.S. at the top level.
During her four years as a United States Naval Academy Midshipmen, Riggs developed her leadership abilities, competed on the academy’s club triathlon team, and in 2018 attended the Army Airborne School where she earned her jump wings. She was selected for the Navy’s Strike Fighter training program and despite her top priority as a student naval aviator, she placed first as Age Group National Champion in the USA Triathlon Draft Legal National Championships and had a second-place finish for overall female at the PTO U.S. Open age group race. Riggs is a four-time USA Triathlon All-American and was elected captain of the 2023 All-Navy Triathlon Team.
Warrick is active duty in the U.S. Navy as a deep-sea diving medical technician, specializing in hyperbaric and trauma medicine. He is one of the few medical experts at his command and a part of the Special Operations community that is counted on to provide lifesaving tasks under pressure. During the 2022 triathlon season, Warrick was a member of the All-Navy Triathlon team which helped secure the overall National Armed Forces Triathlon National title. He was second overall at the Legacy Triathlon, 13th at Age Group National Championships and qualified for his professional triathlon license.
Jeff Jewel Award: Kevin Elmore
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 2022 Jeff Jewell Spirit Award recipient Kevin Elmore. Many people have called Elmore “Mr. Multisport” and friends can attest: “Kevin is often known as a walking advertisement for USA Triathlon and Team USA. He loves the sport, loves the USA Triathlon organization, and is always thrilled to sport the Team USA uniform. He's the kind of guy that treats this sport likes it's the Olympics.”
Elmore is known as a cheerleader and is a great ambassador for triathlon and multisport. For the past several years, Elmore has endured a battle with cancer, but this has not deterred him from still being part of the multisport community. His commitment to multisport, even though this time he cannot compete, demonstrates his fortitude for the multisport lifestyle.
About USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon, paratriathlon, and indoor and virtual multisport events in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,000 races and connects with more than 400,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors — as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation — USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including World Triathlon Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of World Triathlon and the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC).