Willie Stewart

In 2007 I was approached and offered to be part of the Nevada Passage Adventure show. Yes we got television exposure. Aired on national television.  Lots if you lived in Nevada and some if you were awake @ 2 a.m. in California.

          I will always remember one of the questions they asked on the application: Who are your favorite all time athletes and why? I listed three:
     Willie Stewart(aka: one arm Willie) because he is one of the most humblest, kind and selfless human beings I have ever met. Oh that and he kicks ass. With one arm. And I mean kicks ass. Won the Catalina marathon a few times. Several triathlons. I believe para Olympic kayaker. The list goes on. Willie lost his arm in a construction accident in his teens.  Fact is he ran to the hospital as he was so rural in the boonies he had no choice. 

             But just got this huge treat as I open and see he is in the photos Jodi was taking of me. Full on classic Willie Stewart: Look at the sequences.(they will blow up if you click on them) He notices Jodi is taking pics, he is in the backround and gets all Willie Stewart- like. Classic. Love the guy. He moved out of Cali, married, raising children............ And still kicking ass on race courses.

       I will not fail to mention my other favorite athlete whom was/is Terry Martin. Again total class act. Selfless, generous, kindest human being. And kicked ass on courses everywhere.  With zero, zilch, nada, no ego. One special human being.

       Look closely at Willies expressions. Everyone has their game face on. Willie? Being Willie. Then going out and kicking...................ass.   Yes. These two fellas (Jodi was/is a close 3rd) rate top of my best of athlete list. Not Lance. Not Macca. Not Koby. But Willie and Terry. By a long shot.

Big weekend!

Quick trip to race The Southwest Xterra Championships in freezing Lake Las Vegas. We got caught in that storm big time. Great to see and race against all of our  Xterra competitors from the past. Was surprised at how many flew in from around the country. I thought we traveled far. Great to see the entire TeamUnlimited. They wed us in Hawaii on the beach a day before the World Championships in 2001. Treated us like a Hawaiian King and Queen. Won my World Championship title that race too. Cool. They are a class act when it comes to putting on a big event. And they typically designed the course to be: Gnarley. Jodi and I both placed 5th Sunday. In a huge field of typically smoking fast Xterra competitors. Stoked with that. I am in the same zip code on the race course as the four just ahead of me.(and they know it :)

                        Raced LA Tri series # 1 Express the following day. Lots of La Verne in the top five on the results page! Jodi placed first female overall. Dillon first male overall. I was 4th overall and Devon fifth overall. Go La Verne!!!!!!  Robert Little raced "The Double" and earned some hardware at Sundays race too. Legs are naturally toast and will happily take a few days off from training. Sure is nice to be back on the Xterra tour again.  Still just as tough and challenging as ever. With more and more fast competition.............just how I like it.

Two states. Two races. One weekend.

Xterra Southwest Championships Lake Las Vegas this Saturday. Los Angeles Triathlon Series race # 1 on Sunday. With Saturdays one mile swim, 18 mile off road mountain bike, 10K run you'd think Sundays sprint would be a cake walk. But legs will take a beating Saturday. And then trying to race above lactate threshold on Sunday.............well it won't be a cakewalk.  Come on out to Bonelli Park Sunday and get your race on. You can register race morning.  www.trievents.com for more info