Hall Of Fame 05’ Sea World

Thank you.

I have to echo my words from Kona last October in saying thank you to WTC for the recognition and for this very special award. I am being thrown into a club with significant others, some Ironman Champions, a doctor , a freak, that’s Tinley, and a bloke who wore a belt in the Ironman so he deserves to be in there too!

I now have the pleasure in working with WTC on a professional level and certainly appreciate it. Thanks goes out to Ben the President who unfortunately could not be here tonight, he chose a suave box at the Superbowl over us, instead of Shamu and a bunch of plush toys and a good chat with us. To Diana Bertsch our race director and a wonderful lass, to Blair La Haye our media director and all round good chicky babe, To Dan the Man, who puts our incredible web casts together and To Peter Von Henning our illustrious TV leader. Papa is very dear to me and has made working in TV easy.

I wanted to Recognize Tri California and Xterra for allowing me to be a part of their teams, both companies are fantastic to work for sharing the same passion, that’s putting on world class events and providing a great experience. To Terry Betsy Brent Don Whit Julie and Eric, thanks for the fun times, and at Xterra, Janet Tom and Dave the slave, talk about a good looking individual, a picture of health wealth and sex appeal, go get em tiger. I should also mention Rocky Dunmire who makes announcing an easy and joyful day.

If I don’t mention this guy first he is going to go ballistic and he knows where I live, Scott Tinley, How are ya digger. Scotty invited me to come to this country in 1990 to train, he took me under his stinky wing and showed me the ropes… we trained a bit too! Thanks for nearly putting me out of Ironman in 91, thanks for taking out Roch then too, and by the way, Christian Bustos went down too, no big deal, just 3 broken arms! Seriously Scott, you’re a good bloke and one heck of a guy with knowledge, about what, I don’t know.

Big Mick and Lisa, you guys have been my friends forever, I have known Mick for 21 years. My fondest memory of Mick is in Ironman one year, we were heading back into town at Kawaiihae and we were climbing and about to turn onto the queen K. There was an obnoxious sound at the top of the hill… there sat Mick with his mega—phone and a life size cardboard cut out of Dave Scott. Mark was right on my tail, as always, and Mick stood there yelling something I do not wish to repeat but it was great.

To my friends Paul Paula Roch Heather Murphy and Shannon, thanks for being there when I needed you, you saw me at my best, and you saw me in a position I never thought of, on my back helpless in the ICU way too much, those days are over, thanks for being there.

To all the press that wrote about me, Competitor Triathlete and Inside Tri, to Don Norcross from San Diego who serves Triathlon graciously in our local print and for Ironmanlive.com.

To Mike and Rose Reilly, Mike, you are the best, Rose, you are wonderful and for that, we took your name for our little Emma Rose.

Bob and Heidi, you guys are eccentric and awesome, love walking Golf tourneys with you.

Sian, you know how I feel about you. When you walk into a room it just lights up for me honey, not only do we have the most beautiful little girls Annie and Emma, but we have each other.

You were solely responsible for getting me thru the hardest darkest and scariest moments of my life because you believed. You guided me thru and encouraged me to fight and that I did, but it wouldn’t have happened without you. I love you more than life itself, and it just so happens that your outer Goddess beauty is matched, by what comes from within.

You probably know my story, but if not… Stiff, I’m not going there anymore.

My life was stopped as a pro triathlete but it started the same day as a husband and a father and who knew where it would lead.

I don’t like to talk about all the procedures as there were way too many, 9 in total for 60 hours in the OR.

My ticker is great and I have the most incredible jobs going, I get to see my friends every weekend and talk about what I love. I’m lucky to speak passionately and it comes from the heart. Thanks for the award, its everything I could have dreamed about.