Memories of loved ones spur triathlon participants

By Ted Allen
tallen@newsadvance.com
(434) 385-5527

Former Jefferson Forest swimmer Linde Groover, now a first-year student at Virginia, completed her first Angels Race Triathlon in memory of older sister Brittany Groover on Sunday.
“I started running a lot in college, but the first time I’ve gotten on a bike in 10 years was last night in my neighborhood,” said Linde, who had twice before swum the opening leg of the sprint triathlon as part of a relay team.
She only got through the cycling stage of the race with support from volunteers, many of whom she knew as former teachers, family friends or members of her church.
They made the homecoming event seem like a walk down memory lane.
“It brought me closer to home,” said Groover, who had a photo of Brittany printed on her race jersey. “I was surprised it (evoked) mostly positive memories.”
It also gave her a newfound respect for her mom, Beth Groover, the race’s volunteer coordinator.
She rented a 15-seat passenger van and drove to Charlottesville on Saturday night to take Linde and 14 of her friends back to town for the race, after putting them all up in their house overnight.
“I found 15 volunteers and she coordinated 200,” Linde said. “They’re the ones that make this race go.”
Started as a triathlon in tribute to Brittany, a JF student who died in a car crash in 2002, the Angels Race has grown into an annual living memorial through the streets of Lynchburg.
Sunday’s sixth annual event reached its 400-athlete limit six weeks ago, with a few professional athletes in the field, dozens of college club members and a many volunteers from years past trying it for the first time.
“The first race was all about my mom and all about Brittany, so close to her death,” said Mick Gunter, a friend of the Groovers who started the Karla Bolen Foundation in memory of his mother who also died in a car accident years before. “Now, the race is meaningful on so many more levels.
“We don’t do this to raise money, but for the spirit of the event and the people behind it,” he added. “What the event does for our families is prove (the death of a loved one) doesn’t have to end your life.”
JF cross country coach Jerome Loy, who taught and coached Brittany Groover, completed the race for the sixth time.
“It’s very easy to be motivated for this race,” Loy said. “My goal in life is to do my 25th. If I can do 25 of these, I’ll be an old man and I’ll still be alive.”
Most participants wrote the name of the angel they were racing with in black letters on their biceps before swimming through a 300-meter maze in the Downtown YMCA pool, cycling 25 kilometers through the hilly city streets and out River Road and back before finishing with a 5K run mostly on the Blackwater Creek Bikeway, ending in front of the Community Market.
Lynchburg’s Marcus Wright, last year’s overall winner, was the fastest local finisher, coming in third.
Laura Hamm, 23, a second-year graduate student at Virginia Tech, was the fastest female finisher after completing her first triathlon a year ago in the same event.
“This race is great with people cheering all along the course,” Hamm said. “It was emotional, but not in a really bad way, more inspirational.”
Jordan Chang, vice president of Virginia Tech’s triathlon club, finished sixth overall in 1 hour, 9 minutes, 13 seconds.
Tech’s club has grown to 55 members, 26 of whom traveled to Lynchburg. Most of them will leave Thursday for next weekend’s national collegiate triathlon championships in Alabama.
“We definitely stressed this race,” club member Kristen DeCarlo said. “It’s good for our team and school unity. It brings our team together and honors our fallen students. It’s a big Virginia Tech family.”
Donna Hodgert, Randolph College’s swim coach who swam at Sweet Briar, was the second fastest female. She competed her first Angels Race in 2003 and has since placed second or better in the Virginia Triathlon Series three times. Sunday’s race served as the second event in that series following a race in Smithfield two weeks ago.
“I’ve done all six of them,” Hodgert said of the Angels Race. “It definitely has a special feel to it. It’s a challenging course (but) it’s beginner-friendly because of the volunteers. They are incredible.”
More than 20 members of JMU’s triathlon club, which won the past two college team challenges by edging Virginia Tech, formed a spirit tunnel for runners to pass through as they approached the finish line, offering high fives and cheers.
“JMU’s a great competitor,” DeCarlo said. “They always have a really strong team (and) it’s a good, friendly rivalry. We saw them two weeks ago in Smithfield and we’ll see them next week at nationals.”