News and Community

Summary: Osamu Chiba, TCSD member since 1993 and founder of the sports-photography company Opix, shares his journey from Japan to San Diego, his love of Xterra off-road racing, and his friendship with the late TCSD president Jim McCann.

Summary: Swiss-born scientist Philippe Krebs traces his path from competitive swimming in Fribourg to winning the M30–34 age group at Ironman Arizona 2008 in 9:08:21, crediting TCSD training partners, smarter equipment and a healthy lifestyle.

Summary: After surviving two heart attacks in his thirties, Don Lopez turned a cardiologist’s advice to jog, swim and cycle into a mission — completing Ironman Arizona in 12:53:43 despite a mid-race bike crash. He raised over $13,000 for the Cardiovascular Disease Foundation, earned the Ford Everyday Hero Award, and formed a lifelong bond with cardiologist Dr. John Fitzgerald along the way.

Summary: A former baseball player and lifelong surfer, James Walsh stumbled onto triathlon after watching the Solana Beach Triathlon in 2005 and did his first race in a surfing wetsuit on a mountain bike. He rose quickly in off-road racing, and just a few years later won his 30–34 age group at the Xterra World Championships in Maui, finishing as 2nd amateur overall.

Summary: A former golf pro who found his true calling in ultra-endurance running, Mike Rouse has completed more than 200 marathons plus dozens of 50- and 100-mile races and 24-hour runs. He came to triathlon at age 50 after a trip to Kona — unable to swim or ride a bike at the time — and went on to become a multi-time Ultraman World Championship competitor and 50+ age-group winner.

Summary: New Mexico native Daniel Derkacs grew up as an ultra-competitive junior runner in Los Alamos before burning out, taking up hockey, and rediscovering triathlon in college. A UCSD PhD student in electrical engineering, he qualified for Kona with a 9:51:32 at Ironman Coeur d’Alene 2008, battling cold water, cramping and nutrition struggles — and once out-ran the legendary Dave Scott at the New York City Triathlon.

Summary: Research scientist Rachel Richards recounts her move from competitive equestrian sports to triathlon, culminating in her first Ironman at a brutally hot Arizona in 14:40:47—a race she describes as an experience more than a competition.

Summary: One of TCSD’s original members, Dave Krosch reflects on 250+ multisport events across two decades—from five Ironmans and a Kona qualification to grueling 24-hour adventure races and his passion for Xterra.

Summary: Chemist and former Cat 2 cyclist Brian Scott shares his deep Ironman resume—including a 9:26:53 Kona-qualifying performance at IM Arizona—and his data-driven philosophy of racing by heart rate and power.

Summary: Marine Corps officer and Iraq veteran Jackie Atkinson shares how she quit smoking, learned to swim from scratch, and channeled her military discipline into completing her first Ironman at Arizona in 12:51:38.

Summary: Mac Brown recounts his fast rise from a college lacrosse player sidelined by knee surgeries to a Kona podium age-grouper and newly minted professional triathlete, powered by standout bike and run splits.

Summary: Longtime TCSD member and volunteer Lynn Trimble shares his three “C” Ironman finishes, his passion for Xterra off-road racing, and the behind-the-scenes work—from race results to the website—that helped grow the club.

Summary: U.S. Navy triathlete Eric Rehberg recounts winning his first triathlon on a rusty mountain bike in Guam, racing Kona for the Navy in 2005, and his role as race director of the SEAL-founded Superfrog Triathlon.

Summary: Jill Childers shares her journey from an overweight non-athlete to a triathlete and ultramarathoner, recovering from a life-threatening bike crash and brain injury before winning a lottery slot to finish the 2007 Hawaiian Ironman.

Summary: Katrin Szardenings, a German-born swimmer who once signed up for her first Ironman after a few margaritas, has raced Ironman-distance events all over the world—from California and Tahiti to Western Australia and Germany’s legendary Roth Challenge. A self-described “average” triathlete who loves the training more than the racing, she shares vivid travel tales and down-to-earth advice for first-timers.

Summary: Amanda Benedict—TCSD Club Liaison, workout leader, and former newsletter editor—shares how a former soccer goalkeeper and fitness competitor became a triathlete and finished her first Ironman at Vineman in 12:53:54. She describes overcoming a nightmare race-morning start with a “just have fun” mantra, her love of the Auburn Half, and racing through a string of injuries with a smile.

Summary: Andi Ramer, who came to endurance sport with no athletic background, describes her rise from a 16:30 first Ironman to a sub-12-hour finish (11:55:36) at Ironman Hawaii—her ninth Ironman. She recalls earning her Kona slot at IM Wisconsin by taking the pressure off, battling a flat and stomach trouble in Kona, and the constant support of her husband Don.

Summary: In this first-person race report, TCSD interviewer Craig Zelent recounts his own Ironman Canada, finishing in 10:43:21 and earning a Kona slot by just six seconds in a sprint finish. He describes a strong swim and bike, a brutal, stomach-churning marathon that nearly made him quit, and the hydration and sodium lessons that made the day a hard-won triumph.

Summary: Al Tarkington won the men’s 65–69 age group at Ironman South Africa (13:49:06) to earn a Kona slot—finishing in a wild lightning storm he was sure had left him dead last. A lifelong ocean swimmer and world bicycle tourer who has ridden through more than 40 countries, the retired CPA shares his travel-and-race philosophy and his goal to always finish with a smile.

Summary: Dennis Villavicencio, a new TCSD member and securities-fraud attorney, qualified for Kona with a 9:59:33 at Ironman USA Lake Placid (5th of 366 in the men’s 35–39). An extreme-adventure junkie who has raced Ironmans on four continents, climbed Kilimanjaro, and swum to Alcatraz on a dare, he shares his “Team V” sibling rivalry with brother Alan and his love of brutal mountain and desert challenges.

Summary: Bob Baranek qualified for Kona with a 9:49:06 (4th in the men’s 40–44) at Ironman Coeur d’Alene—his first Ironman in six years. A strong swimmer and cyclist, he describes his comeback as a father of two, an early-morning training overhaul after a back injury, and his wife Kim’s inspiring Breast Cancer 3-Day walk.