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Sunday, February 8, 2009
A word with Sally Edwards
I was confused by the arrival of a new women’s triathlon series in Austin this year. In fact, I wasn’t really sure which race was new and which had been around for years.
Based on some postings on this blog, readers are confused, too. After former Danskin spokeswoman Sally Edwards (shown above) herself posted a comment a week or so ago, I called her to try to sort through the muck. Edwards is now spokeswoman for the Trek Women’s Triathlon. And former Danskin race director Maggie Sullivan now directs the Trek race.
The Trek Women’s Triathlon is set for May 17 and the Danskin SheROX Triathlon is set for June 7. Registration is now open for both races. Both will be staged at Walter E. Long Park at Decker Lake.
The triathlons sound similar. How will they be different?
“I think the series are going to be different in the athletes’ experience. I can only speak about the Trek and don’t know what other womens’ series is going to be like. Trek is the race that’s been around for 19 or 20 years. The other one is the new triathlon. It has new people and I don’t know them and don’t know what they have planned. I’ll be at starting line (of the Trek triathlon) giving everyone a high five and giving a cheer. I know that experience and it’s a first-class quality race and not some backyard triathlon. The fanfare and hoopla will be at Trek now. If that’s the experience women want, that’s the race they should go to.”
But it sounds like you’re describing the Danskin.
“If you took the name Danskin and put the name Trek on it, that is what the athlete will experience. It’s for first timers, it’s supportive … everything is exactly the same — actually a little better.”
So what’s new?
Diversity. I said I would like to have a race that’s really inclusive of women with special needs. There’s a big engine division — it’s always been called the athena division. I would like to respect women in uniform and have them have their own wave and recognize them, too. There’s a way to recognize women and their contributions in special way.
I’m still confused. You say the Trek is the race that’s been around for 19 years, but we’ve never had a Trek Women’s Triathlon in Austin.
“The message is the sponsors all went to Trek, Sally Edwards went to Trek, Team Survivor went to the Trek series. When you look on other womens’ triathlon site you don’t see those things.”
Is there room for two women’s triathlons in Austin?
“I see the sport of triathlon in a very strong growth mode. I’d like to have as many different events as we possibly can and many different options for women.”
So why are you no longer attached to Danskin?
“I’m an entrepreneur, and when Maggie Sullivan said, ‘I’ve been doing the corporate world 18 years and I want to go out and own my own business,’ I could either support Danskin or my very close friend. It was really hard … but when you see every single person in the organization — Sally Edwards, the race director, the swim angels — going to the new series, you have to say ‘Where am I going to put my face?’ The veterans are committed to women in triathlon just like they’ve always been. What I care about is women are staying fit and they’re in the game and showing up at the starting line.”
Did you “jump ship” from Danskin?
“There’s a lot of confusion. I didn’t jump ship. It was a very, very difficult decision. It wasn’t easy. If I stayed (with Danskin) I’d be with a race group I didn’t know. I’m fiercely loyal, and I was with Danskin 19 years. I’m going to make this my 20th year … I’m going to do it with the people where my heart is.”
What will make the Trek race special?
“There is magic and the magic is the secret sauce of what we do. We care more about compassion and the final finisher and supporting women. Sometimes we call it kumbayah — sometimes it’s more of a love fest than a triathlon. It’s real stuff, it’s not phony. I cry and I’ve been doing it all these years. We celebrate every single woman whether they’re a skinny triathlete or a big athena triathlete. Where that experience will happen is at Trek.”
Any final thoughts, Sally?
“This is a big year for me. I’m going to be 62 and I started when I was 4 What I’m passionate about is getting America fit and this opportunity to help lead women off the couch and onto the starting line. It’s a long journey and it’s the joy of my life.”
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