Member Spotlight
Char is an ex-committee member and is responsible for the legendary Lance Armstrong BLMF year. See what she has to say about all things triathlon and events!
Q. Fave race/race highlight?
A. 2014 Round Rarotonga Road Race - race highlight, racing both of my sisters around the island and taking out the podium with them, and beating them both obviously.
Q. Local fave race
A. Can’t go past Toi’s challenge, a perfect mix of low-key but well-organised, hard course but beautiful scenery to keep you going.
Q. You're an event organiser as a profession. What makes a great event?
A. It’s the overall experience that creates positive event memories! Things like the uniqueness, the people, the vibe, and probably value for money. As an event organiser, it’s also hard not to look at how smoothly the event is running and the safety aspect!
Q. What would you tell someone if they were just starting out in triathlon?
A. Triathlon is (or can be perceived as) quite an elitist sport to get into! My advice is to join in on club activities to get started, it’s far from elite and actually a lot of fun! There are lots of oldies in the club to learn from, and still a few of the “old school” club tris that are perfect when you’re starting out, such as BLMF and the Ohope Tri! You don’t need to commit to an Ironman for your first tri, build your way up (if you want to), or know that you don't actually have to do an ironman to be a triathlete!
Q. You organised BLMF for many years. Tell us a little about the 'Lance' year?
A. The year that Lance Armstrong announced on twitter that he was making his return to triathlon at the 25th anniversary of the BLMF! After a lot of extra planning, pulling my hair out, and even TV interviews … Lance didn’t come. But the event was our biggest it’s ever been, made the club a good chunk of $ and we got a lot of free promotion!
