SoCoT2 recognizes ExtraOrdinary Mortals as Male and Female Triathletes of the Year . The award recognizes that individual’s athletic accomplishments as a triathlete in terms of racing, improvement, inspiration to others, or overcoming a challenge in the sport.
2020: N/A
2019: Male: Roger Giordano
Roger had an outstanding triathlon season last year. Learning to swim later in life can be a struggle. Roger faced his fears and pushed through the discomfort and embarrassment of learning to swim as an adult. He completed his 2nd full Ironman last year at Ironman Wisconsin finishing 16th in his highly competitive age group. He was instrumental in mentoring and training two newer triathletes in our club, Larry Navarro
and Sean Staples, to compete in their first Ironman races last year. Roger has been a longtime volunteer for SCR cohosting two Predicts each year, the Temple Canyon and State Fair Predicts and he helps put on the Valentine Twosome. He has volunteered for a number of years at the Ordinary Mortals and Mini Mortals Triathlon. He even became a coach for the Youth Triathlon Club helping foster the love of multisport in our youth. Roger attends almost every club meeting and is always there to give a helping hand to whatever needs arise.
2019: Female: Gwen Steves
Gwen was previously recognized in 2013 as the 1st ever Triathlete of the Year but deserves the recognition again this year. I really feel like she has excelled the past 2 years in her running which led to her most successful two years in triathlon. Gwen went all in with her training with an intense focus to get to Kona for the World Championship IM this past October. To improve her running she started training with the guys at the track with weekly speedwork and long runs all over Colorado. I really think her running performance truly deserves recognition as she now runs sub 4 hr marathons in an IM race. This past year she ran the Mount Charleston marathon setting a PR of 3:16:49 (pace of 7:30) qualifying for Boston and New York, which has much faster qualification times. She was 7th in her age group and 33rd overall female. Her IM marathons have been 3:51 and 3:46 AFTER she swam 2.4 miles and rode 112 miles! With this focus and determination on her run training AND endless hours and grit on the bike trainer, Gwen got to Kona and had an amazing race representing Southern Colorado. She donates countless hours to SCR timing our events and several events in our area for outside organizations. She is the reason OMT came back after a 5 year lapse and the mastermind of creating the Mini Mortals Triathlon. She is a driven athlete but also a driving force behind why so many of us can swim, bike and run now. Gwen served as the SCR club president for two years while juggling two young children, a full-time job and a busy training schedule herself. She volunteers to chip time our local SCR events saving the club thousands of dollars and dedicates an attention to detail for the most accurate and timely of results.
2018: Sean Staples
2017: Cory Rose
2014: Kim Arline
Kim Arline has been a key player and behind the scenes organizer of SoCoT2, Ordinary Mortals and Mini Mortals triathlons and the youth tri training program since its inception in 2010. She is Gwen’s detail oriented friend with a talent of putting a lot of information in a document. She helped co-direct the first OMT at CSU-P in 2012, was race director in 2013 and was able to compete in the 2014 OMT and finished as 3rd overall female qualifying for USAT Nationals.
Kim Arline has really come a long way in a short time as a triathlete. She originally hid from the spotlight feeling a bit of a poser not knowing how to swim. During youth tri club swim practices she was stuck on deck handing out kick boards and putting on goggles and swim caps. But she finally learned to swim in December 2012 and completed the Boulder Triathlon Series (Sprint, Olympic, 1/2 Ironman) the summer of 2013.
In 2014, Kim cut times and added distance completing all distance races during the season. She competed in her first Ironman in Los Cabos, Mexico finishing 10th in her age group, 1st in her age group at OMT, center of mass finisher at USAT Nationals Olympic distance in Milwaukee, 1st in her age group at Buffalo Creek Xterra (which was a long road back from a mountain bike injury) and 2nd in her age group at Harvest Moon 70.3. She was so pleased to finally get in the water with the Youth Tri club this year and get to teach swimming.
We thank Kim for her organization skills, inability to say no to a good idea, hard work, dedication to our club’s efforts and her inspiration to other athletes wanting to get more involved in multisport events.
2013: Gwen Steves
It is very fitting we recognize the founder and driving force behind the Southern Colorado Tri Club (SoCoT2) as our first Triathlete of the Year award. Gwen Steves is an accomplished triathlete already competing in three Ironman events, and countless ½ Ironman, Olympic and Sprint distance events. She loves multisport so much, she wanted to share it with others in Southern Colorado!
Creating SoCoT2 was a prolonged and arduous process taking several years. Little did we know back in 2010 what would become of the Youth Tri Club she started through the YMCA and a youth triathlon the following spring. We’ve held a youth tri training program and youth triathlon every year since. In 2012, Gwen Steves spearheaded the effort to bring back the Ordinary Mortals Triathlon to Pueblo along with a group of CSU-P students and rename the youth events, the Mini Mortals Triathlon.
SoCoT2 was launched in September 2012 after months of meeting with SCR to create an arm of the club to advance the sport of triathlon locally. SoCoT2 now runs the Ordinary Mortals Triathlon (OMT) independently and has attracted a large following of local athletes to learn to swim or ride, to try triathlon and love multisport events also!
Gwen has opened the world of triathlon to so many of us. She has shared her secrets on training, nutrition, changing flat tires and racing through the transition zone. She has cheered us on in training, at races and online. When we didn’t believe in ourselves, Gwen kept our spirits up. She has created a supportive community to train in, share our successes and set backs, and created a fun and supportive group at events cheering one another on.
We thank Gwen for her vision to create a tri club, bring back a triathlon to Pueblo, her tireless dedication to OMT, SoCoT2, youth sports and making a huge difference in Pueblo and beyond!