Late-Comer Wins Turbo Triathlon
Peter Heinz, 36, a Manhattanite who’s summering in Springs, had just biked 30 miles out to Montauk and back on Saturday when his girlfriend, Analisa Cipriano, told him that a triathlon was about to get under way at Maidstone Park. Away they went, and though Heinz arrived late, he quickly swam his way into the lead in the 300-yard swim and didn’t look back during the course of the 7-mile bike and one-and-one-half-mile run.
The triathlete, who was eighth at Mighty Hamptons last fall, registered for the race after winning it in 40 minutes and 15.42 seconds.
The runner-up — and the women’s winner — was Sally Dawson, 36, a native of Scotland who lives in Southampton. “Swimming is my thing, though I enjoyed everything today,” said Dawson, who finished in 43:41.52, and whose first triathlon this was.
Fittingly, there were many more females than men in the Turbo-Tri, which was a fund-raiser for Theresa Roden’s I-Tri program, whose goal is to transform and empower adolescent girls through triathloning.
For her work — I-Tri now numbers more than 50 members in the Springs and Montauk Schools — Roden was cited in a Suffolk County Legislature proclamation that County Legislator Jay Schneiderman presented as “a woman of distinction.”
I-Tri’s honoree that day was East Hampton Town Police Officer Kim Notel, who for the past 18 years has, as the Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer, worked with students spanning Wainscott and Montauk.
She also raced that day, doing the swim leg on a relay team with Ana Jacobs (bike) and Dan Newman (run). “I love I-Tri,” she said. “It’s great for the girls and the community.”
Ten mothers of I-Tri girls did the triathlon, which is over the same course as the one their daughters are to face in a youth triathlon on July 14.
In that group was Noemi Sanchez, who had a few years ago been, in the words of Roden, “the victim of a brutal attack at the hands of her estranged husband. . . . If it had not been for the courage of Ms. Sanchez’s daughter, Noely, and her two sisters, Noemi would not be here today. In 2011, a still-recovering Noemi Sanchez watched Noely, who was then 11, compete in I-Tri’s youth triathlon, and in the two years since has used fitness, dancing, and a positive outlook to prepare herself to cross the finish line today.”
Besides Heinz, the top five men were John Westbrooks, 30, of Howard Beach, Queens; Jeffrey Smith, 33, of Hampton Bays; Gary Zaino, 49, also of Hampton Bays, and Dave Rutkowski, 50, of Montauk.
The top nine women were Dawson, Patricia Fall Salamy, 46, of East Hampton; Stephanie Brabant, 37, of Springs; Lisa Cueva, 37, of Staten Island; Selena Garcia-Torres, 17, of Sag Harbor; Ricci Paradiso, 50, of East Hampton; Amanda Husslein, 33, of Montauk; Tara Gurney, 38, of East Hampton, and Liz Forsberg, 23, of Montauk.
The winning relay team comprised Margaret Thompson, the Springs School’s music teacher, and Kristi Guarino, the mother of an I-Tri girl. The runners-up were Susie Roden (swim), Rob Roden (bike), and Deb Donahue (run).
Kathryn Perry, I-Tri’s publicist, said “over $18,000 was raised, all of which is to benefit the I-Tri program. . . . We had over 40 local businesses as sponsors, including Southampton Hospital, East End Tick & Mosquito Control, Sneakerology, and Ben Krupinski Construction. The East Hampton Volunteer Ocean Rescue Squad made sure that all of our racers had a safe swim, and Hamptons Free Ride helped shuttle spectators from off-site parking to the finish line.”
Awards “for showing the spirit and determination to face a huge challenge with grace” went to David Valentine, 50, of Little Neck, Queens, and to the aforementioned Noemi Sanchez.