Jason wrote…..Last Saturday, October 4th 2008, Lisa accomplished something that no one else I know has done…finished a triathlon. It was a “Sprint Triathlon” which meant it was 1/3 mile swim, 18 mile bike ride, and a 3.1 mile run to finish it off. The triathlon was held at Pensacola Beach and it was an absolutely beautiful day for one. The only other time she did an “open” water swim the water was really rough, but on this day it was as calm as I have ever seen it. Lisa had been sick leading up the race and she still had a nasty cough the day of the race…but if you know Lisa you know that she wouldn’t let a cough keep her from meeting her goals. The swim was her hardest event. 1/3 of a mile does not really sound like it would be hard to swim. However, seeing how far they had to swim; there is no way I could have swam that far. I was getting worried about her though as I was waiting…..read more on their blog….

BY JULIE B. CONNERLEY Gulf Breeze News, 2005

Ann and Charlie Knight were honored in 2004 with a polished granite monument for their tireless efforts as founders of the highly successful Santa Rosa Island Triathlon begun in 1996. This year’s SRI-TRI is dedicated to Charlie Knight who lost a courageous three-year battle with cancer last year.

One of Pensacola Beach’s premier shoulder season events, the popular annual swim/bike/run Santa Rosa Island Triathlon (SRI-TRI) has officially been given the “go ahead” by SRIA general manager Buck Lee and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Bob Clark. The event will be held September 24 beginning at 7:30 a.m.
“I met with both men late last week,” excitedly explained Ann Knight, Race Founder and Coordinator for the event now celebrating its 10th year. “We have their support 100%. They feel confident the beach will be ready to handle the race and the businesses will be ready to welcome the guests.”

Ann’s husband of 52 years, Charles Knight, who served as Event Coordinator for the past 9 years, passed away shortly after his 76 birthday on New Year’s Eve 2004. He fought a courageous three-year battle against melanoma cancer. Last year’s race was canceled due to Hurricane Ivan. This year’s race will be held in Charlie’s memory.

“At this same time last year we had more than 1330 reservations,” said Ann. “Right now we are behind, with only 630 registered so far, but I am hopeful we will have a good turnout and the beach will bounce back.”

The new host hotel for this year’s event is the Springhill Suites. After being closed for ten months, they were only open ten days before Hurricane Dennis slammed the area and closed them down again. The hotel has 75 rooms already booked for the SRI-TRI. They too are pleased that plans are proceeding to hold the race, although some changes in the routing of the run portion will have to be made due to construction concerns.

Anyone wishing to get in shape for the triathlon is welcome to join the Mere Mortals, a free training group that meets almost every Sunday helping first timers prepare for a triathlon event. To learn more about the Mere Mortals, contact Tom Henderson at 932.6953 or Paul Epstein at Running Wild, 435.9222.

Four Years ago, with no use of her legs and limited use of her arms due to cerebral palsy, Lindsey Ellis completed the SRI TRI.

This is a story by Julie B. Connerley printed in September 2005 in the  Gulf Breeze News .

More than 900 athletes are registered to compete in the 10th annual Santa Rosa Island Triathlon this Saturday beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Pensacola Beach. Among them, mostly seasoned amateurs, some world class professionals, and always a new slate of “first timers” including a very special young lady named Lindsey Ellis.

Anyone who participates in triathlons will fondly recall his or her first competition. For Lindsey, 18, this event will be especially memorable because she has cerebral palsy and could not fulfill this dream without the help of many others.

It is Lindsey’s competitive spirit and joy of life that set the wheels in motion after she was introduced to running by her aunt, Wendy Ellis, about five years ago. Ellis, 44, has been teaching physical education in the Escambia County school district for the past 20 years. She has been running competitively for the past nine years and invited Lindsey along one fateful day.

With no use of her legs, and limited use of her arms, Lindsey concentrates on using her abdominal muscles to keep her upper body in the proper position as her aunt pushes the wheelchair along. After that first race, Lindsey was hooked and asked her aunt when was the next race and could they do it faster next time!

Lindsey’s family lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but whenever possible, aunt and niece have raced 5-k runs together. When Wendy was approaching 40, she set a goal of competing in her first triathlon by her birthday. She trained hard and that effort did not go unnoticed by Lindsey who decided she wanted to compete in a triathlon too!

Last year, Lindsey informed her aunt that she had written to Oprah Winfrey asking help to purchase the special equipment needed for them to participate in the event. That letter was an eye opener for Wendy.
“I had no idea how serious she was about wanting to do a triathlon,” said Ellis. “It was so inspiring to hear her determination that I immediately began looking for a source of funding to help us with the expenses.”

She found the financial resources through the BALANCE BAR Grants Program. Started in 1992, the Balance Bar company produces snack-type food bars based on the 40/30/30 nutrition philosophy for providing sustained energy and hunger management.Three years ago the company began a grants program to provide financial assistance ranging from $500 to $10,000 to recognize individuals whose dreams, if realized, would enrich their lives while enhancing their physical health.

From more than 1,000 essays submitted, only nine grants were awarded seven individuals and two teams. In April 2005, “Team Ellis” received the exciting news from Balance Bar that they would receive a $10,000 grant.
Upon hearing that “Team Ellis” has been chosen as one of the recipients, Wendy, recalled, “I was jumping up and down and feeling anxious at the same time. I thought to myself, could I really do this? I hate to swim and now I have to do it pulling an 85-pound person in a boat!

Once I calmed down and remembered that this was not about me but about helping Lindsey get from start to finish, I knew it could and would be done. Lindsey’s excitement was as great as mine, only she had no fears she owned up to she just had bragging rights.

Wendy described her training during the past five months as “trial and error.” Previously, training was always about speed. Now it is about strength, endurance, mixed with some creativity. The specially designed trailer she will be pulling behind her bicycle weighs 31 pounds itself. With 85-pound Lindsey aboard, that means that Wendy will be pulling almost her own body weight.

Because of the four-hour drive to Baton Rouge and Lindsey’s summer camp, “Team Ellis” has not had much opportunity to train together. However, Lindsey has been working with her physical therapist and keeping in touch with her aunt by email and phone calls.

After adjusting to the extra weight of pulling a trailer behind her bicycle, Wendy then began adding weights to simulate Lindsey. “At first I would be training after work, so whatever I had in the back of my car would be placed in the trailer for weight. I received some strange looks from passers-by when I used an ice chest one day. They must have thought it was some party.”

Similarly, training for pulling Lindsey behind her in the Gulf of Mexico posed different challenges. “We really didn’t know exactly how we were going to do the 1/3 mile swim portion of the event. A bright yellow inflatable boat was a necessity. A friend suggested using a line attached to the boat and then to a weightlifter’s belt that Wendy would wear while swimming.

In theory, it sounded fine. But, without a person in the boat who knew? That is when Wendy’s next-door neighbor, JoAnn Mandato, 44, offered her services. “She asked me if I would mind helping her train for the triathlon,” smiled Mandato. Mandato’s “job” was to lie on her back in the inflatable boat during the hot late afternoon hours while Wendy quietly went about the work of swimming.

“One time, JoAnn laughed, “I had fallen asleep and didn’t realize it when Wendy had stopped swimming and had asked me a question.”

Much has happened in the year since a young girl penned her dream to compete in a triathlon on Pensacola Beach. Her letter to Oprah was never answered. The barrier island barely survived the ravages of Hurricane Ivan, only to be assaulted months later by Hurricane Dennis, two tropical storms, and a glancing blow from Hurricane Katrina.

Yet, Pensacola Beach, famous for its “world’s whitest beaches,” is rebuilding. The Santa Rosa Island Authority has pledged to have the storm-related issues resolved so that the triathlon can proceed, and “Team Ellis” is entered in the physically challenged team category.

“I’m just Lindsey’s limbs for this event,” smiled Wendy. “This has been a family effort about giving Lindsey opportunities to truly enrich her life experiences as well as strengthening her self-image. The equipment we were able to purchase through the BALANCE BAR grant will make it possible for Lindsey to participate in several types of family activities throughout the years to come. In fact, we have family members coming from Louisiana and Texas to help cheer her on.”