VERO BEACH — Friends and families lined the beach, boardwalk and roadsides Sunday morning, cheering on participants in the third annual LLS Conquistadores Triathlon to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.
Organizers registered 115 competitors in the 25.5 km sprint triathlon, a USAT sanctioned event, drawing local athletes as well as those from as far away as Fiji, inspired equally by the challenge and the wonderful cause.
Beginning at Jaycee Park, participants raced to the ocean for a .5K swim, which for many is the most difficult part of the course.
Dripping with salty water, they next grabbed bikes for a 20K ride along A1A, before returning to the Jaycee Park for the final leg, a 5K along Ocean Drive, and ending with well-deserved fist pumps as they crossed the finish line.
With a time of 0:57.28, the overall male winner was Buddy Verderber of Vero Beach, who will compete with the USA Triathlon Team at the World Championship in London this September.
The overall female, with a time of 1:09:24, was Tricia Rydson of Melbourne Beach.
The Allen Team – Alex, Gabby and Jimmy Allen – finished first in that category with a time of 1:07:39.
The youngest participant was Tomas Botero, age 12, who finished at 1:22:13, and at age 68 Erik Olsen was the oldest, finishing with an impressive 1:28:32.
The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is dedicated finding a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma, and provides services and support to improve the quality of life of blood cancer patients and their families.
Organizers credited the success of the event to a hardworking group of volunteers and the support of the entire community, including the City of Vero Beach Recreation Department, Vero Beach Police Department, Indian River Shores Police Department, EMS and lifeguards.
Participating businesses included Orchid Island Bikes & Kayaks, which provided kayaks and boards for support in the swim and road assistance for the bike course, Runner’s Depot, Patty’s Printing, Kickstart Endurance, Active Lifestyle, Seaside Grill, Southern Embroidery, Disney Resort and Einstein Bagels.
Sponsors included Vatland Honda, Vero Orthopedics Vero Neurology, Glendale Properties, Gorge E. Warren Corp., Rossway Moore Swan, Gould Cooksey Fennell, Premier Properties, J Attwood Taylor, MBV Engineering and Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice.
