The Invincibles

8/3/2019 The Invincibles

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30 | AUGUST Mobile Bay Monthly

T h e

S p r i n g h i l lM e d i c a lC e n t e rG r a n d m a n

Triathlon, in Fairhope for its secondyear, is proving to be a very good thingfor the city, both for businesses andcharities. The event, which took placeon June 18, is comprised of a 1/3 mileswim, 10.5 mile bike, and 3 mile run,with divisions for individuals and relayteams.

It began as the brainchild of Jeff andErika Pollock of Spanish Fort as the

Pelican Point Triathlon in 2000. Erika,who competes in about 30 triathlons ayear and boasts awards at both thenational and international level says thatshe and her husband founded the racebecause they wanted to see an eventcloser to home. Still under Erika andJeffs direction, the race moved last yearto Fairhope.

This years Grandman was the

biggest yet, with a registration of 400athletes, ranging from ages 12 to 73,with 72 participants in the First-TimersDivision. Thanks to approval from theCity of Fairhope, the participants got tounwind after the race at a party by thepier, featuring music, food, beer andmassages.

The race has always raised moneyfor local charity, but this year it officiallycame under the direction of Mobile Bay Watch. The new event director, ArianaMoore says MBW will be sharing theproceeds with Baldwin County

Trailblazers, an organization that buildssidewalks and bike trails.

Mobile Bay Watch is very con-cerned for the cleanliness of the bay weswim in all the time, says Jeff Pollock.It seemed appropriate that we pass it onto them.

Pollock believes that in addition tobenefiting the city, the triathlon benefits

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T E X T A N D P H O T O S B Y V I C K I V A L O S I K E L Z A R R A D

The lazy bay shore of

Fairhope plays host to 400

fitness fanatics pushing the

limits with an extreme range

of motivations. For one family

of four its sweaty good fun.

For 17 Mobile firefighters its

a discipline that beats

killer stress.

The crowd before the first race at the annual GrandmanTriathlon in Fairhope.This year was the biggest yet, with aregistration of 400 athletes. Proceeds from the event go toMobile Bay Watch and the Baldwin County Trailblazers.

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Mobile Bay Monthly AUGUST |31

all who participate. Its amazing the

influence its had on peoples lives.Completing a triathlon is such a sense ofaccomplishment. All that boils up andyou get this surge of feeling that you cando anything.

FIGHTING FIRES AND BEATINGSTRESS

Go to any iron man event within ahalf a days drive and youre likely to seesome of Mobiles firefighters. It all start-ed, explaines Kenny Tillman, Captain ofStation One, with a federal grant which

provides firefighters nationwide with YMCA memberships and exercise timebuilt into their shifts. For CaptainTillmans crew and other Mobile fire-fighters, those workouts became disci-plined training times as they saw poundsdropping, muscles toning and cama-raderie growing. They began enteringraces, duathlons and triathlons all overthe region.

A total of 17 of Mobiles firefightersparticipated in Fairhopes GrandmanTriathlon this year, many for the firsttime. Tillmans crew of six swims and

runs together during their shifts and

meets on their off days to bike.While they joke that their motiva-

tion is foodNo more low carbdiets!they realize they are doingsomething far more important.

The benefit to the community istremendous, says Tillman. The firemenare a lot more productive at house fires.

When it comes to their health, themotivation gets even more personal.Heart attacks are the number one killer

of firemen...heart attacks from stress,says firefighter Ken Keller. Within fourminutes of the bell ringing were walkinginto someones front door whos house ison fire.

This is a truth the firemen of StationOne know well. Less than one weekbefore the Grandman, 35-year-old fire-fighter Johnny Parker suffered a massiveheart attack after a training session. He isthankful to be alive and says, If I hadnt

Its amazing the influence its had on

peoples lives. You get this surge of

feeling that you can do anything.

The Mobile Fire Department Relay team from leftto right:Tim Hall,Kenny Tillman, Johnny Parkerand Ken Keller. Parker had a heart attack oneweek before the Triathlon and was replaced byHall. If I hadnt been in this shape, I might not havemade it, Parker says.

Racers will love Chip Timing,which is a more accurate way tomeasure times and will befeatured in next years race. The Grandman welcomesindividuals or relay teams,men,women and children of all ages. Date for the race is yet to bescheduled. Check the websitebelow. There are also categories forfirst-time racers, Clydesdale (formen 200+ pounds) and Athena(for women 150+ pounds), andFat Tire for those who choose tocomplete the 10-plus-mile bikeportion on a mountain bike.

Racers are encouraged toregister early since this yearsevent reached capacity six fullweeks before the race. Register online at www.the-grandman.com, atwww.active.com, or atwww.mobilebaywatch.org.Or download your registrationform and send it along withyour registration fee toGrandman Triathlon-MBW/MBK,

5 N. Jackson Street, Mobile,Alabama 36602. For more information, visitwww.mobilebaywatch.org or callrace director Ariana Moore at(251)433-4229.

-Tiffany Brasher

2006 GRANDMAN TRIATHLON

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daughter-son relay team A Fox and TwoHounds are not your average family.

The Grandmans 1/3 mile swimevent (587 yards) is just a warm up for16-year-old Jefferson Hudson who,between the Fairhope High School swimteam and two private leagues, regularlyswims from 5,000 to 7,000 yards a day.

Jeff Hudson, a partnerat Gatlin Hudson Architects a Jeffersons fatherprefers cycling andrides a total of 170miles each week. A

bike-on-bike wreck earlier this year left

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been in this shape, I probably wouldnthave made it. Tim Hall, a member ofthe Engine 15 Hasmat Crew and avidrunner, filled in for Parker at theGrandman.

The families of the firemen have

been motivated by seeing the positivechanges they are making in their lives.There were a handful of wives and girl-friends that completed the triathlon, and

next year the women hope to start theirown team.

A FOX AND TWO HOUNDS

The idea of a grueling morning,

starting at 7 a.m., of running, swimmingand biking, is not the average familysidea of a good bonding experience. Butthe Hudsons, who named their father-

From left to right:A Fox and Two Hounds:Ali, Jeff and Jefferson Hudson.The Hudsonsturned the Grandman into a family eventand start their days at 7 a.m. running,swimming and biking.

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him with a cracked collarbone, threebroken ribs, and a dislocated shoulder.Im a roadie, the senior Hudson says.

Having two of three skills requiredfor a triathlon, Jeff and Jefferson decidedto give it a try two years ago and recruit-ed a friend to be their runner for theSanta Rosa Island Triathlon in Pensacola.

This year for the GrandmanTriathlon, they decided to make it a fam-ily event and welcomed onto the teamJeffersons 13-year-old sister, Ali Hudson. Ali runs track and cross country for

Fairhope High School, averaging threemiles a day during the summer.

Moms the cheerleader, smiles Ali.Jeff adds that his wife Patricia providesthe supplies, support and pep, and dri-ves the sag wagon.

Im really proud of them, saysPatricia. It gives us something we cando together as a family. They grow up so 3704 DAUPHIN STREET AT I-65 342-6336

fast and then theyre gone. This will be agreat memory.

WINNER OUT OF USA VOLLEYBALL

Just one year after her first

triathlon, Overall Female Winner of theGrandman, Lindsay Overton, hasknocked 16 minutes off her time, bring-ing it down to an impressive 60 min-utes, 18 seconds. This graceful 22-year-old began training in February, swim-

ming two miles, running three to six,and biking between 10 and 30 on alter-nating days of the week.

Her coach, Terry Martin, says of herwinning performance, I was in awe.The amount of training shes done com-

pared to the others is very small. I seetremendous potential. Shes a killer.

Overton, who attended theUniversity of South Alabama on a fullvolleyball scholarship, graduated in Maywith a degree in communications. Even

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though she comes from a family of ath-letes, Overton cites as her first inspira-tion an Ironman competition she saw onTV when she was a child. She also adds,Im pretty intrinsically motivated to domy best.

WINNER OUT OF A ROCK QUARRY

Im not as fast as Iused to be, saysTom Lowery ofGainsville, Fla. Itshard to win againstyounger guys. Thismodest 42-year-old

triathlete was not only the GrandmanOverall Male Winner at 51minutes, 30seconds, but also had the fastest times inthe biking and running events.

With hopes of qualifying for theworld championships in Hawaii, train-ing is a way of life for Lowery. He runs

25 miles a week and swims in an openwater rock quarry, which provides agreater challenge than swimming in apool. Besides 75 miles each week ofserious cycling, he commutes to andfrom his job as an energy engineeringconsultant on bike.

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Lindsay Overton, overall female winner ofthe Grandman Triathlon. Overton attended

the University of South Alabama on a fullvolleyball scholarship and began trainingfor the Grandman in February, swimmingtwo miles, running three to six and bikingbetween 10 and 30 on alternating days.

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Lowery completed his firsttriathlon in 1986 and now cheers on his

children as they compete in similarevents for kids. He believes it main-

tains a healthy lifestyle, and plans tocontinue competing as long as he isable.

Vicki Valosik El Zarrad is a freelancecontributor to Mobile Bay Monthly.

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Tom Lowery,overall male winner of theGrandman Triathlon. He has hopes ofqualifying for the world championships inHawaii. He runs 25 miles a week, swims inan open water rock quarry and bikes 75miles a week.

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