Team RWB at Ironman Arizona

Are you racing Ironman Arizona and want to join in on some Team RWB activities? We'd LOVE to have you and we have a few get togethers planned for race weekend and some cheer areas, so join us! Click and read more here:
TEAM RWB IMAZ Newsletter

Ironman Texas in Pictures

We'll do a much more detailed write up on the AMAZING Team RWB weekend at Ironman Texas, but needless to say, watching Team RWB Pro-Triathlete Tim O'Donnell proudly carry the Stars and Stripes down the finish chute was AWESOME! Watching countless RWB volunteers support the racers late into the night was inspirational! Seeing one our brand new Team RWB tri-suits out on the course was satisfying!  Meeting and eating and raffling off great gear at the Team RWB dinner was fun!  Hearing founder Mike Erwin and five Team RWB pros (Tim O'Donnell, Jess Jacobs, Kathy Rakel, Derek Oskutis, and Brad Pigage) share about Team RWB was motivating! Thanks to all those that raced, that helped, that cheered in person or a far! It was a huge success, and only the tip of the iceberg! 

Team RWB Tri Co-Captain Steve Burns hands Tim O'Donnell the US Flag (flown in Iraq and Afghanistan and carried in many Team RWB marathons and ultras!)

Tim takes Old Glory to the finish line where he took 2nd place overall in 8:09, and won the title of US Pro Champion in his FIRST Ironman! Timothy O'Donnell YOU ARE AN IRONMAN!

Team RWB mans Run Aid Station #4 at the Southern tip of Lake Woodlands

Team RWB keeps athletes hydrated on a hot and humid Texas day!

Team RWB supports 2500+ triathletes on their Ironman Texas journey!

Team RWB Pro-Ambassadors Brad Pigage, Derek Oskutis, Kathy Rakel, Jess Jacobs, and Timothy O'Donnell address the attendees at the Team RWB dinner

Team RWB Cake! YUM!

Texas = DELICIOUS Mexican food for dinner with a great crowd of Team RWB supporters and athletes!

Pro-Triathlete Profile: Kathy Rakel

This week we introduce you to one of our professional women triathletes, USAF 1LT Kathy Rakel! Hopefully some of you will have the chance to meet Kathy this year, because you will quickly find her enthusiasm for life, for triathlon, and for others to be contagious! We're proud to count Kathy among our ranks as she pursues might triathlon goals but also serves her country, full time, as an Air Force Officer.  

 

Name: Kathy Rakel

Nickname: Katch-A

Age: 26

Do you have a Twitter account where people can follow you? A blog? Yes!  Twitter (@kathyrakel), blog (www.kathyrakel.blogspot.com), and on Facebook

Do you have a significant other and kids? single and am patiently waiting to meet the right person

When did you get into triathlon and why? My first triathlon was the summer of 2005.  The challenge of the sport appealed to me.  However, I only began training competitively as a triathlete in the fall of 2007.  I am a former basketball player and golfer!  I also play ping-pongJ

Do you have a favorite race? I haven’t raced enough to have a favorite race!

What is your best race memory? My best race memory is becoming the first woman in the Air Force to win the Armed Forces Triathlon Championship (June 2010).  A close second would be completing Ironman Arizona (April 2007) in 11:46:42.  I was a relatively new triathlete and really had no clue what I was doing, but I loved the challenge and finished!

When you reach the point of the race where you have to dig down deep, what do use as personal motivation? I can’t think much when I’m truly digging deep in a race, so I use strategies my coach teaches me to deal with the pain.  If I am seeking motivation, winning is always a great motivator!

What is your favorite leg of a triathlon and why? Does the finish line count?  This is definitely my favorite part because it feels so rewarding! 

What is your favorite pre-race food? I intentionally don’t let myself have a favorite pre-race food because what if I can’t find it before the race?  But, my normal pre-race breakfast consists of a bagel, powerbar, and a banana.

What is your favorite post-race food? Cold Stone’s Birthday Cake Remix ice cream.  However, I substitute the rainbow sprinkles for cookie dough!

Besides triathlon, what do you do for fun? Triathlon IS my funJ  I also love just relaxing with my friends and family.

Why Team RWB and supporting the military? I love that Team RWB focuses on wounded veterans and endurance events.  In much the same way that I find the sport challenging and the finish line rewarding, I know wounded veterans would feel the same satisfaction, if not more!  They are the true heroes of our nation, and I want to help them in anyway possible! 

Significant Race History/Results:

- 2010 Armed Forces Triathlon Championship (1/23, 2:00:04, first female in the Air Force to claim this title)

- 2010 Ixtapa ITU Triathlon Pan American Cup (7/30, 2:02:52, top-American)

- 2010 Las Vegas Pumpkinman Triathlon (1/106, 2:25:46, new course record)

- 2009 Buffalo Springs Lake Half Ironman (1/25 W25-29, 5:04:23)

- 2008 Best of the US Amateur Triathlete Competition (9/41, 2:23:20)

- 2007 Ironman Arizona (2/23 W25-29, 11:46:42, did this race for fun as a relatively new triathlete, current record holder for the fastest Ironman ever by a female cadet at the US Air Force Academy)