Triathlete of the Year
Every year, Team Sheeper presents a Triathlete of the Year award to two exceptional individuals on the team. They are chosen for their personal, behavioral characteristics as well as for their athletic achievements and team contributions.
Our triathlon community is comprised of numerous individuals who are worthy of this award every year, but these athletes are singled out because of the way they elevated themselves in achieving ordinary to outstanding results during that year. And more importantly, they have improved our already thriving team culture by their actions and demeanor.
In the end, our team would just not be as successful without the involvements of these individuals. Congratulations to our winners!
- 2007: Martin Michael and Michele Santilhano
- 2006: Pierre Pujol and Kirsten Kempe
- 2005: Jeff Piland and Sally Phillips
- 2004: Lennard Hachmann and Mimi Winsberg
- 2003: Ed Owen and Tina Lount
- 2002: John Richardson and Edie Heideman
- 2001: Chris Berry and Tina Lount
2007
Martin Michael
The noblest of all gentleman athletes that the team has ever known. His consistency, camaradarie, empathy, and determination set him in an echelon that all athletes can learn from. His performances are carefully planned and executed with most results going the way of the dream.
Michele Santilhano
The world is not quite ready for a woman of this caliber. Her endurance feats in one season are nothing short of remarkable. Her endurance, recovery ability, desire to excel, desire to find human limits are what set her apart not from just the average athlete but from even the best world class competitors.
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2006
Pierre Pujol
Dogged determination with an understanding of the global and minutae of triathlon have kept him on a constant trajectory upward in his triathlon career. His unparalleled preparation for Ironman Cour de Alene where he ran with a torn tendon in his foot, but it still netted a Hawaii Ironman qualification where he managed a most respectable finish in his first World Championship appearance.
Kirsten Kempe
The strongest, sturdiest, and swiftest triathlon runner to ever grace the team. Her sheer joy of running has propelled her to many top finishes at the sprint to Ironman distance, along with an fantastic appearance and finish at the Ironman 70.3 World Championships. There is no one else that can match her spirit to run for the pleasure of it regardless of time or place, which she never even calculates or records.
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2005
Jeff Piland
The quietest most humble elite athlete that you may ever meet. His ascent through the age group ranks at numerous races along with overall race wins have made him a contender on the national stage for his professional career.
Sally Phillips
Her strengths are her determination and her mental outlook, along with her phenomenal endurance capabilities. She has made tremendous improvements on her cycling enough to challenge our teams top riders as well as her racing peers. She epitomizes a team player and has been a fabulous training partner and confidante to many athletes on the team.
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2004
Lennard Hachmann
He parlayed his epic leg speed with his strong determination and his unmatched preparation skills to launch himself to the forefront of the team and the regional and national scene as a top competitor. His swimming improved to a point where he could still be a threat for the win on the run.
Mimi Winsberg
She came from out of nowhere to have one of the most diverse seasons of racing in the history of the team. Events from long distance cross country skiing to short sprints at swim meets to sprint and Ironman triathlons. Her recovery and preparation ability and determination married with tenacity thrust her to be a endurance force.
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2003
Ed Owen
In only a few short years of being a triathlete he has leveraged his world class swim speed into a strong cycling and a national class long distance runner in the Ironman. Ed logged one of the top five fastest Ironman run splits ever on the team with a 3 hours 25 minute marathon to go along with a team record 49 minute 2.4 mile swim.
Tina Lount
She was totally relentless in her racing endeavors again this year. Coming back after a year off to give birth to her first child, Tina raced herself into shape and back to the highest point of the podium in races ranging from sprint to the Ironman. An inspiration to aspiring parents everywhere.
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2002
John Richardson
One of the strongest riders on our team even though he give up a couple of decades in age to most of his teammates. This ageless wonder has carved out a name for himself on the regional scene with numerous top age group placings.
Edie Heideman
One would never know by looking at her that this is the fiercest competitor that the team has ever known. She will let nothing stand in the way of her and a finish line. Sweet and motherly on the outside, while rugged and rough on inside. She mowed down most of the woman in her age group with top placings at Nationals and World Championships.
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2001
Chris Berry
A remarkably strong athlete in each discipline. Started with a water polo background and used hard work to raise him to the top of the team and the top of his age group nationally with a phenomenal 9 hours 30 minute Ironman California which qualified him for Hawaii Ironman where he went about the same time.
Tina Lount
A fearless and prolific competitor who raced more than anyone on the team with countles wins and top age group placings. She uses her wicked-fast foot speed to close out races faster than any of her competitors.
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