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Lucy Smith, Running for Joy
Corbin and Yastrebov Victorious at New Balance Half
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- CHRIS LIETO - LISA MENSINK - TERRA CASTRO - RACHEL ROSS
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LifeSport Pro Team member Katya Meyers has qualified for a pro slot at the Hawaii Ironman World Championships. Meyers placed 5th in the professional division at Ironman France to earn the start in Kona. The slot was somewhat unexpected but very gratifying given it was her first Ironman on her journey back from being sick for most of 2007. Congratulations Katya!
On July 13th, Vancouver will play host to the Subaru Vancouver International Half and Sprint Triathlon. Unlike the ITU Triathlon World Championships staged in June that featured the Olympic distance racing, this event will showcase the longer Half Ironman race (1.9km swim/90km bike/21km run), and also include a shorter sprint race, relay, and a celebrity division. Highlighting the celebrity division will be Jenny Fletcher, a model who has been featured on the popular television show “Deal or No Deal” and modeled for Armani and Ralph Lauren. Vancouver mayoral candidate Peter Ladner will participate in the race and serve as the Honorary Chairman for the second year. Ladner, who recently won the mayoral nomination of his party in an upset victory over incumbent Mayor Sam Sullivan, has been a strong advocate of healthy lifestyles and active living. Also featured will be Iron Chef Rob Feenie who starred on the Food Network for five seasons and in 2005 became the first Canadian to win on the popular television show, Iron Chef America by defeating Chef Masaharu Morimoto. Also expected are former and current Olympic athletes along with a few last minute surprises.
There was a stretch of time (for a couple of years) where on occasion, while running around some local lakes, a runner would approach at an alarming speed. I could instantly deduce who she was even as a mere spot in the distance. Her form was so flawless that there was only one person it could be. The process of elimination was instant. This is saying something as the trails of greater Victoria are many and the runners of all levels are everywhere. 
Bree Wee placed an incredible 2nd in her first Ironman as a professional athlete finishing with a 9.37 clocking, only 3 minutes outside of the winner’s time. Amazingly, this was only the second Ironman of her career. It was a battle between her and the incumbent Ironman Japan Champion, 
I am excited to report that I won one of the largest half ironman races in Canada: the Victoria New Balance Half Ironman! A week ago I hopped a plane from Kansas to Vancouver Island, British Columbia to spend some time with my coach, Lance Watson. Victoria is like Disneyland for triathletes… it has everything! I was treated to a great week on the island with swimming in Elk and Thetis lakes, cycling around town, and exploring some awesome running trails. This was the third event of the Subaru West Coast triathlon series that I have attended and race director John Bothelo has it dialed in. Besides putting on a great event, I had a great home stay with Steve Young and Vanessa Keeler. I got two great massages from Gibson Brown. I also got a brand new Subaru to drive around for the week. Lucky me! 
The 13th running of the New Balance Half IM took place today under near ideal conditions at Elk Lake in Victoria, Canada. The race, steeped in tradition, has included Ironman legends Lori Bowden, Peter Reid, and Jasper Blake to name a few. The race was originally billed as the “Battle of the Champions” with local stars Blake and Cheryl Murphy set to take on respective international competitors and fellow Subaru Series Champions Andrej Yastrebov (UKR) and Linsey Corbin (US). As fate would have it, illness kept both Blake and Murphy from competing paving the way for Corbin and Yastrebov to take the titles and for other local stars to shine. 
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