USAT Women's Commission: News, Nov  2003

 
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 National Women’s Breakfast by Jean McGuire
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National Women’s Breakfast by Jean McGuire

The USAT Women’s Commission Annual Breakfast was held during the Age Group Nationals in Shreveport, LA on Friday, October 3rd at the Holiday Inn in Bossier City. Featured speakers included Steve Locke, USAT Executive Director (with comical assistance from Valerie Ellsworth-Gattis, President, USAT Board of Directors) Sherri Wattenbarger, USATWC chair, Liz Dobbins, Age Group commission chair, and Celeste Callahan, who presented the Judy Flannery Award.
The theme of the breakfast was “Women in Triathlon: Where we’ve come from and where we’re going”. The event was billed as an opportunity for women athletes from all over the country to have a chance to get together to enjoy some good food, enjoy the camaraderie of other female athletes and to share information on women in triathlon. All of this and much more were delivered.

The women who attended had an opportunity to learn more from Steve Locke about the USAT and how it works. Liz Dobbins shared some exciting plans about taking triathlon into the schools in an effort to encourage and educate young people of all abilities about triathlon. Celeste Callahan spoke of Judy Flannery and all she had given and contributed to women in triathlon. The women heard the grief in Celeste’s voice as she touched on the sorrow of Judy’s tragic death. They were inspired and excited by Sherri Wattenbarger who spoke of the increasing numbers of women in triathlon and the goal of having 40% of USAT registered triathletes be women.   It was inspiring to meet and hear from the women who were in triathlon when it was truly the rare woman who participated in the sport and it gave all of the attendees a rare insight into the not so distant past when the sheer percentages of men to women would have intimidated lesser women.

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For more information on USA Triathlon's Women's Commission, please contact: Sherri Wattenbarger, co- chair 2005, at Sherri.Wattenbarger@usdoj.gov or Ashley Rosilier, co-chair 2005, at ashley@rungearrun.com.  If you are interested in a position within the Women's Commission for 2005or would like to organize a specific women's-oriented program, please email one of us with details as soon as possible.