COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA Triathlon today announced the seven winners of the 2017 Multisport Awards presented by Garmin, which recognizes USA Triathlon members who fueled the multisport lifestyle in the 2017 season:
Doug Clark Sportsmanship Award: Dr. Tricia Shea DeLaMora (Larchmont, N.Y.)
Dr. Tricia Shea DeLaMora is the recipient of the 2017 Doug Clark Sportsmanship Award. The award honors Doug Clark, a decorated triathlete and multiple-time masters national champion who inspired others through his dedication and commitment to sport, humility, ability to inspire others, ambassadorship for the sport and high standards of ethical behavior on and off the field of competition.
DeLaMora is a pediatric infectious disease physician practicing in New York City. She is a 12-time IRONMAN finisher and has completed numerous sprint and Olympic-distance triathlons, marathons and ultramarathons. While racing at IRONMAN Santa Rosa in July 2017, DeLaMora came across an unconscious athlete on the bike course. She and another competitor stopped in the middle of their races to give the athlete CPR, continuing for about seven minutes until emergency medical personnel took over. DeLaMora went on to finish her race, later learning that the man she had helped was alive.
For her service, DeLaMora was given an entry to the 2017 IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, which became her 12th IRONMAN finish last October.
Military Sport Award: Lt. Col. Jonathan Mason (Fort Collins, Colo.)
Jonathan Mason, Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, is the recipient of the 2017 Military Sport Award. This award recognizes the multisport successes achieved by the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Mason is a longtime volunteer coach for the Colorado State University triathlon club, which has grown in numbers and competitive success throughout his tenure. In 2017, Mason helped CSU to its first top-five finish in the overall club standings at the USA Triathlon Collegiate Club National Championships in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Mason was also the collegiate program coordinator for USA Triathlon’s Rocky Mountain Regional Council from 2015-2017. He was one of the founding members of the Northern Colorado Triathlon Club, and remains one of its biggest supporters and champions today.
An accomplished athlete himself, Mason earned a silver medal in triathlon at the 2017 International Military Sports Council (CISM) World Military Championships in Warendorf, Germany. He lives in Fort Collins, Colorado, and serves with the U.S. Air Force 18th Weather Squadron based at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.
Spirit of Multisport Award: Leo DiCanio (Las Vegas, Nev.)
The Spirit of Multisport Award recognizes individuals who illustrate the positive spirit of multisport through acts of sportsmanship and leadership, with no deference to athletic ability. This award was given to Leo DiCanio, who went from not knowing how to swim, bike or run to finishing IRONMAN Florida within one year with the help of six-time IRONMAN world champion and coach Mark Allen.
DiCanio was inspired to sign up for his first IRONMAN after watching the 2012 IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, and has gone on to finish five IRONMAN races including the 2016 IRONMAN World Championship. In 2017, he won his age group in three different races of three different distances within 24 hours, as part of the HITS Triathlon Series.
DiCanio has given back by raising money and racing in honor of the Children’s Tumor Foundation and the IRONMAN Foundation. He volunteers frequently at races in his hometown of Las Vegas and continually supports and inspires others as they work toward their own multisport finish lines. He is also the author of the 2014 book “I Will Be Iron.”
Most Inspirational Comeback Award: Kevin Simmons (Lake Mary, Fla.)
The Most Inspirational Comeback Award, which recognizes athletes who have made a comeback to the sport after a traumatic or troublesome situation, was awarded to Kevin Simmons. Simmons is a three-time USA Triathlon age-group national champion in triathlon and aquathlon and a two-time cancer survivor.
After his first surgery for colon cancer, Simmons spent six months on chemotherapy and refused to let that alter his training. He devoted himself every day to some form of physical exercise, even bringing his portable chemotherapy pack with him on bike rides.
Simmons underwent his second cancer surgery in the summer of 2017, a difficult experience in which he coded in the hospital. Less than two months later, he placed first for men 65-69 at the USA Triathlon Age Group Sprint National Championships in Omaha, Nebraska, the second age-group national title of his career. Two months after that, he won another national title at the USA Triathlon Aquathlon National Championships in Austin, Texas. In addition to being an accomplished triathlete and cancer survivor, Simmons is also a kidney donor. He saved the life of his older brother Michael, who was in kidney failure, in 2006.
Volunteer of the Year Awards: International Association of Black Triathletes (IABT) and Dr. Tekemia Dorsey (Middle River, Md.)
The Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes an individual or organization whose volunteer leadership has been transformative and has mobilized and unified athletes, programs and organizations in the multisport community. For 2017, the International Association of Black Triathletes (IABT) and Dr. Tekemia Dorsey were dually awarded the honor.
Founded in 2012, the IABT is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization serving urban communities — especially black youth — with a mission to increase participation in multisport and provide opportunities to work in the multisport industry.
Dorsey is the CEO of IABT, which began as a group of friends in a private Facebook group and which ultimately became an international nonprofit association. She is also the owner of IABT Multisport Racing, the only African-American and woman-owned multisport racing company in the nation. In 2017, Dr. Dorsey and the IABT led several initiatives that impacted urban youth in the multisport community, including volunteering at marathon and triathlon races across the country; hosting several free cycling and triathlon clinics for youth and adults; and offering the first USA Triathlon Youth Splash & Dash event in Baltimore. The IABT also hosted a youth triathlon/duathlon in Baltimore in June and an indoor women’s triathlon in Lansdowne, Maryland, in October.
Other IABT outreach initiatives included an early fall “Back to School” Conference focused on closing the academic and unemployment divide; the second annual Overcoming Childhood Obesity Through Multisport Events Conference in September; and a five-week Youth Education & Leadership Employment Summer Training Program. For more information about the IABT, visit theiabt.com.
Lifetime Achievement Award: Fred Sommer (Clermont, Fla.)
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contributions to USA Triathlon and the multisport lifestyle as a whole. These contributions, whether they have been in performance, leadership, volunteerism or mentorship, must demonstrate impact on the multisport lifestyle and an extended commitment to the sport. The 2017 Lifetime Achievement Award recipient is Fred Sommer, founder of Sommer Sports in Clermont, Florida.
An active triathlete since 1983, Sommer has been a USA Triathlon member since its inception and competed in four IRONMAN World Championships in the 1980s and 1990s. Sommer created the Great Clermont Triathlon in 1984, now celebrating its 35th year in 2018. He went on to become a career race director and event organizer, directing about 300 USA Triathlon Sanctioned Events. More than 200 of those have taken place in Clermont, giving that city the title of “World Triathlon Destination.” His triathlon legacy was the inspiration for the development of the National Training Center, a state-of-the-art sport and fitness facility in Clermont, as well as the soon-to-be-completed Clermont Victory Pointe Wetland Park including Triathlon Beach.
Sommer served on the USA Triathlon Florida Region Council, USA Triathlon National Board of Directors and USA Triathlon Race Director Committee for several years, and still actively supports USA Triathlon initiatives. He was also a Class of 2015 inductee into the USA Triathlon Florida Region Hall of Fame.
For more information about the USA Triathlon Multisport Awards and a full listing of past recipients, visit usatriathlon.org/multisportawards.
About USA Triathlon
USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 events and connects with more than 400,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work with athletes, coaches, and race directors on the grassroots level, USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).