By Lora Butterfield | Executive Director

I’m not sure if he realized it at the time he came up with the name, but by the time the last athlete crossed the finish line of the 2009 Bonney Lake Labor of Love Triathlon, Jim Bouchard had certainly labored for the love of sport. Jim Bouchard, past president of the Bonney Lake Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors and chairman of the Labor of Love Triathlon Committee has wanted to bring a triathlon to Bonney Lake for several years.

An athlete himself, Jim knew that Bonney Lake would provide an ideal setting for such an event. With the warm waters of Lake Tapps, the quiet country roads and challenging elevation changes that athletes would be drawn towards, it was an event that did not disappoint – even in the rain.

It was quite an impressive sight to see the event run like a well oiled machine, thanks to Rory and Deanna Muller, owners of BuDu Racing and organizers of our event. Deanna and her crew were there the night before to get things set up and then again bright and early Saturday morning, just in time for the onslaught of athletes ready to race in the rain. With so many moving pieces in an event such as this, it truly is a labor of love for them as well.

The dedication of so many people was inspiring to say the least. Many of the athletes were participating in their first triathlon. Others were seasoned triathletes well schooled in the art of transitioning through the different sports of swimming, biking and running with ease. They have been training for months, if not years and have learned what many of us have not – that exercise can actually be fun. Just ask the group from Sumner CrossFit, they looked like they were having lots of fun and I’d be willing to bet they would say it was a “Labor of Love”.

Once they crossed the finish line, athletes were welcomed by our sponsors from Massage Envy and Mountain View Chiropractic and Wellness Center with free massages. What could be more fun than that?

Also inspiring, was all of the friends and family cheering on the athletes. I will never forget the encouragement I received at different points along the course from my family when I ran a marathon and I’m sure the support I saw at this event will not be forgotten either.

With nearly 300 participants, ages 14 to 68 in our inaugural year, each of them had the choice of running the Olympic or Sprint distance. They also had the choice to enter the race as an individual or as a team and have one team member do each leg of the race. For the Olympic distance, participants swam one mile, biked 24.8 and ran 6.2 miles. Sprint distance athletes swam a half mile, biked 12.4 and ran 3.1 miles.

The top male and female spots went to:

• Olympic Distance: Chris Blair 2:00:08 and Heidi Hubler 2:12:17

• Sprint Distance: Richard Ling 1:03:35 and Brianna Home 1:13:41

The Bonney Lake Chamber of Commerce would like to congratulate all of the participants. We would also like to thank the volunteers, the Bonney Lake Police Department and East Pierce Fire and Rescue.

Event Sponsors included: Bonney Lake Chamber of Commerce, BuDu Racing, Bonney Lake Massage Envy, Cascade Water Alliance, City of Bonney Lake, NCS Personal Training, Mountain View Chiropractic and Wellness Center and Fleet Feet.

We are looking forward to our second Annual Labor of Love triathlon in 2010. It’s not too early to start training now, and the Chamber has several Chamber members who can help you accomplish your fitness goals.

Lora Butterfield is the Executive Director of the Bonney Lake Chamber of Commerce and can be reached at (253) 222-5945 or lora@bonneylake.com. The Chamber’s website is www.bonneylake.com.