(April 20, 2012) Athlete check-in for the Ochsner Ironman triathlon began on Friday, April 20, and several members of the Institute of Translational Research volunteered to staff the tables and assist the registrants.
“Our team volunteered last year for the Ochsner-sponsored event and thought it would be great to volunteer again together while supporting the Ochsner healthy living initiative,” said Associate Research Scientist Dr. Chasity Coleman. “We wanted to support Ochsner in serving our community and promoting wellness.”
The Institute of Translational Research volunteers collected paperwork, passed out race packets, and validated race timing chips at the Hilton Riverside downtown. They were busy. Without the volunteers’ assistance, the check-in tables would have been severely short staffed.
The Ochsner Ironman attracts local athletes, as well as athletes from around the country and around the world. The volunteers met people from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Brazil, Chicago, and New York.
The triathlon consists of a 1.2-mile swim in Lake Pontchartrain, a 56-mile bike through New Orleans East, and a 13.1 mile run that finishes in Jackson Square.
The triathlon was held on Sunday, April 22, but without the swim component. Race officials decided to cancel the swimming on Sunday morning because of rough winds out of the north at speeds of up to 25 knots. Officials decided that the lake waters were too rough to allow the swim and replaced the swim with an additional 2-mile run.
The male and female winners of the shortened triathlon were Trevor Wurtele from Canada and Sarah Piampiano from the USA.
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Several Institute of Translational Research volunteers assisted with athlete check-in for the Ochsner Ironman: (left to right) Ben Chen, Mariana Casanova, Renu Joseph, Akannsha Singh, Julia Cook, Neil Aguiluz, Xin Zhang. Not pictured: Daniel Lightell
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