IRONMAN WI: Michael Thompson Gets it Done

by Kim Rankin

“Strong and steady” were the words Madison, WI photographer Clint Thayer used to describe theIronMan WI performance of custom sports photography client Michael Thompson. “He never stopped, but just kept going.”

When Thompson crossed the finish line Sunday night, a support team of family and friends were there to meet him. Not letting himself or his team down was Thompson’s motivating goal from the beginning.

“I know there are going to be spots that will be crappy,” shared Thompson before the race.“I’m not obsessed with how long it takes. It’s a matter of getting it done. When I get to that point when I don’t want to go, when my body says I can quit… I don’t want to be the person who says, 'I couldn’t find a way to overcome.'”

The desire to overcome life's challenges is something Thompson shares with his brother, Chris, who has battled cancer. “My brother told me his personal goal is to be able to stand up out of his wheelchair unaided as I cross the finish line. He’s going to be there to give me a hug. So when I’m out there on the course, and I don’t want to move forward, I’m going think of him, of how he struggles to get up out of his wheelchair. I’ll go forward. I'll get to the end.”

Going forward is something Thompson did amazingly well all day Sunday. His performance on the bike was especially outstanding. “He flew!,” said Thayer as he narrated Thompson's IronMan through the lens. Thompson entered the 112 mile bike leg of the race  ranked 280th in his age division. He left his bike ranked 191st.  While reporting from the course, Thayer said “He is passing people like crazy. He came over the climb at Midtown looking strong and digging deep.” Thompson wrapped up the day with an equally strong marathon, averaging eleven minute miles.

Thompson’s road to IronMan WI 2012 started with a run five years ago. He did the CrazyLegs Classic, an 8-km race, with a group of friends - motivated primarily by the free beer at the end. “I started big, fat, and lazy,” he said, “but realized after running a bit with a buddy that I was losing weight. Hanging out and running with friends encouraged more interest [in sports].”

Thompson entered his first marathon in 2007. He completed two triathlons in 2009, the Lake Mill Sprint and the Olympic distance race of the Wisconsin Triterium in Verona. In 2011, Thompson completed the IronMan 70.3 Racine in just over six hours. His girlfriend, Jodi Hemp, was also instrumental. Hemp and Thompson have been together for over ten years. "She encouraged me to sign up for IronMan WI," said Thompson. "Without her support every day, I would not have made it." 

Thompson’s buddies took that encouragement and created a goal. Travis Welch (Ironman WI 2008), Shawn Killebrew (Ironman WI 2009) and Brett Fenner (Ironman WI 2010) were vital to Thompson’s motivation and training for Sunday’s event. “We talk daily. We run or bike every time we're together,”said Thompson. Jessica Laufenberg of SBR Coaching was also instrumental in Thompson’s preparation, planning every workout from December 2011 until IronMan Wisconsin on Sunday, September 9, 2012.

“Anyone who says they do this by themselves is lying," said Thompson. "Everything your support team says and does every day makes it easier or harder to reach the goal.”

Congratulations to IRONMAN Michael Thompson, his brother Chris, and Team Thompson for turning goals into reality!

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Training for a sporting event? Ask us about custom sports photography - we'd be honored to help document your journey.   ​

Nathan Labecki: Cyclocross Photography at the National Art Museum of Sport

By Robyn M. Perrin

Walking through the National Art Museum of Sport evokes an odd sensation. Wherever the eye gazes, it is met with images of athletes – sprinting, swimming, hurling javelins, launching themselves into full-body tackles. Amidst so much motion, it hardly seems appropriate to stand in stillness and take in the colors and textures of the human figure.

Hugging one wall of an exhibit named “Speed and Motion: Racing to the Finish Line,” a fine art photograph is displayed as a five-foot-by-nearly-four-foot canvas. Entitled “Focus,” it shows a cyclocross racer. The compositional elements include strong lines and angles: an oblique tree trunk frames the right side, a slash of red barrier tape provides a directional blaze, and bike handlebars tilt to support the rider’s powerful pedal strokes. Mud draws the viewer’s attention. It is spattered across everything – glasses, bike components, helmet, face.

And that face itself is a study in determination. Gazing at the path ahead, the rider is fully immersed in the throes of competition. His entire figure is poised to explode with forward momentum. A competitor is visible a mere bike length behind him.

Who is the subject of the photo? None other than Nathan Labecki, an up-and-coming cyclist from Milwaukee, WI. Labecki was in the fall semester of his senior year of high school when the photograph was made by Clint Thayer in September, 2011. Nathan’s love for cycling was encouraged by his father, Jay Labecki, who shares a passion for the sport. Throughout Nate’s high school years, father and son had trained together and traveled to race after race – not only in cyclocross, the human steeplechase of the cycling world in which riders traverse unpaved courses and carry their bikes over obstacles – but also road cycling and mountain biking.

“There’s never a bad day on a bike,” said Jay, while describing Nathan’s experiences at the USA Cycling Cyclo-Cross National Championships in Madison in January, 2012. The Championships were plagued with an unusual warm spell that made the course the consistency of modeling clay, followed by a cold snap that left stone-hard 3-inch-deep ruts. Nathan started the day intending to race on tubular tires, a type of racing tire that is glued directly into the rim – fast, but leaving no options to swap the tube if the tire flats. The tires did flat, but thankfully during the warm-up.

“It worked out,” said the elder Labecki. “He’s a strong rider.”

Strong, indeed. Nathan spent the spring of 2012 racing in Belgium. “He had a good series of races,” said his father. “He took a 3rd place in one of the races, a 4th in a field sprint in one of the other races, and led his teammates out for several good finishes.”

Nathan spent the rest of the summer competing in the U.S. and Canada against some of the fastest juniors in the world. Jay Labecki said that during the Tour of America’s Dairyland, Nathan “…was on the podium everyday, won the Downer Avenue race, and in the end took the overall yellow jersey for the Junior series.”

It’s no wonder that Labecki was recruited by Marian University – which, like the National Art Museum of Sport, is located in Indianapolis. Marian runs one of the most competitive cycling programs in America. Now, nearly a year after “Focus” was taken, Labecki is racing at the collegiate level for the first time. He is planning on racing at upcoming National Championships in multiple disciplines, including track, mountain biking, cyclocross, BMX, and possibly road cycling.

When asked about his thoughts on his son leaving for college, Nathan’s father paused for a moment. “We’ve biked together for so many years,” he shared. Although he is overjoyed at his son’s successes, “When he leaves for Marian, it’s not only a matter of seeing my son leave the nest. I’m also losing my training partner.”

But, in “Focus,” the intensity of Nathan’s competitive spirit as a junior rider on a brilliant autumn day remains forever frozen in time.

Editor’s Note: “Focus” is one of six works that have been displayed at the National Art Museum of Sport. All are available for purchase. A portion of the proceeds supports the museum. 

Active Lifestyle through Life's Seasons: Dr. Douglas Kramer

by Kim Rankin

When Douglas Kramer woke up from knee surgery on May 27, 2010, he expected to be on his feet within a day. The veteran triathlete had been experiencing knee pain for about a year and anticipated an uncomplicated meniscus tear repair.  Post surgery reports told a different story - one that would require some modification to Doug’s lifelong commitment to being active.

Kramer started running in 1972, influenced by Kenneth Cooper’s books on the importance of aerobic exercise.  He was in the Navy at the time and running “...became a part of who I was and the lifestyle I wanted to live,” said Kramer.  He took up cross-country skiing, backpacking, hiking, and swimming in addition to running. Over the span of twenty-six years - beginning at the age of 40 -Kramer participated in more than sixty triathlons. He is a six-time participant in the Olympic length distance of the Wisconsin Triterium Triathlon held each year in Verona. Focal Flame Photography has provided event photography services for the Triterium since 2011.

“The Triterium is rated as the toughest Olympic tri in the Midwest,” said Kramer.  “It’s a big deal to finish it. The race has some of the worst hills you’ll ever see and you do them a couple of times,” he said, referring to the looped bike course. Kramer completed in the Triterium Olympic annually from 2004 to 2009.  But the looming knee pain and subsequent surgery stopped his running career. “I sheared off a piece of articular cartilage the size of a quarter from the end of my femur.  I was not supposed to run anymore.”

Kramer had some decisions to make.  He was in the middle of closing his Madison-based medical practice as a child psychiatrist. Being unable to exercise in the ways common to him was a severe blow.  “Staying active was part of who I am,” Kramer said. “Not being able to exercise and live that lifestyle propelled me to get into speed walking.”

Following his orthopedist’s counsel to not push off the left leg with a bent knee, Kramer set out in what he soon learned was an even more difficult sport than running. “I get a better training heart rate speed walking than I was getting running the same courses. It’s not a bad thing at my age,” said the sixty-seven year old retired physician. “More people should transition from running into speed walking.”

While the shift from running to speed walking has prevented knee pounding and trauma, it has hardly slowed Kramer down. His 2012 results for his seventh Triterium were only ten-minutes off his 2009 time. And he’s competed in three triathlons this year. His favorite race? The Kickapoo Reserve Dam Challenge and paddling the solo canoe route seven miles down the winding Kickapoo River.

Kramer’s love of the outdoors and pursuit of an active lifestyle isn’t isolated to well laid-out courses in the Midwest. He and his son Will are graduates of the Boulder Outdoor Survival School’s (BOSS) Hunter Gatherer course – a nine-day adventure into Utah’s desert canyons with only the clothes on one’s back.  Drinking from pools of rainwater and fishing by hand were just two ways Doug lived out the course motto: “Know more, carry less.”  

Having pushed his body to the extremes of BOSS and countless other events, Doug’s reflections on an active lifestyle are heartfelt. “Every year I get older, there are fewer people participating in my age group. Why are there just four people in the 65 and older group?” he said. Referring back to his new sport of speed walking and his comeback at the 2012 Triterium, he said, “There is no reason everybody can’t be doing this!”

Focal Flame Photography applauds athletes like Dr. Douglas Kramer.  Athletes who get out and participate in sporting activities for the passion of being active.  Athletes who adjust to the seasons of the year and the seasons of life by finding ways to stay active. Keep it up, Doug!

Interested in more stories about athletes in the Midwest and beyond? Join Focal Flame Photography on Facebook,Twitter, or Google+!

Madison Marathon Kids Run: Moments that Matter

by Robyn M. Perrin

“Do you want to see some photos?,” said Clint. They were familiar words from my husband, business partner, and best friend. It was late on a Saturday evening after he had returned from a commercial photo shoot for Madison Festivals Inc. to document two new events added to the Madison Marathon weekend: a twilight 10K for adults, and a half-mile kids’ race.

I am not a photographer. But I adore photography. It is a medium both raw and real, one that spans an incredible spectrum. The unapologetic witness of photojournalism, which documents the horrors of battlefields and the tragedy of famine.  The surrealism of altered images, which create a fantasy world. The minimalism of genres such as contemplative (Miksang) photography, which challenges viewers to appreciate the beauty that always surrounds us. For photography lovers, there is always more to learn, more to see, more to experience.

Every photographer – and every photography fan – recognizes “the” images. The ones that pierce the veil of mundane life and make us see with new eyes and open souls. They are images that your mind will re-play when your eyes shut. These are images that will resonate deeply and echo throughout time. They make you want to study them. They make you want to live more deeply.

They are ephemeral, and don’t come around terribly often.

But as we gazed through the series from the evening, all of a sudden I was overcome.

“Stop.”

Clint glanced over, surprised. I was wordless, because I couldn’t speak.

“You don’t usually cry at my photos,” he said somewhat playfully.

Still couldn’t speak.

The image that had pierced my vision was rendered in black and white. Two young girls were gathered close to each other. Clint explained that they were actually being interviewed by camera crew that was documenting the children’s race. While the video cameras fixed on their fresh, animated faces and the sound boom operator carefully picked up their excited chatter, Clint focused on something else.

Their hands. One African-American, one Caucasian, spontaneously intertwined.

I don’t know any details about the girls, or how they came to be at a running event together, or why they were being interviewed. But as a 37-something-year old American in the year 2012, along with over 311 million other Americans, I witness the complex reality of race in modern society. The strength of amazing role models in communities of color, the crushing economic disparities that follow racial lines with heartbreaking frequency, the depth of future possibilities for today’s youth that too often remains numbingly unrealized.

And as I looked at the image, none of that complex reality mattered. Because there, right in front of me, were two children showing each and every one of us what really matters:

Stop making it complicated. Grab your friend’s hand and go for a run together.

As the tears flowed, I realized that maybe, just maybe, it really is that simple.  That’s the power of a photograph. 

Focal Flame Photography believes that photography can help change the world, one image at a time. Join the conversation on theFocal Flame facebook page, Twitter, or on Google+. 

Girls On The Run Dane County: Strong Legs, Strong Hearts

Do you remember what it was like to be a pre-teen?  For many, it is a time of not-quites. Not quite a child, not quite an adult. Not quite independent, but leaning longingly toward freedom. Until that leaning causes a loss of balance, which sometimes leads to running back headlong into the comforts of childhood.

Running. Towards the future. Back to the past. Running.

For Girls on the Run founder Molly Barker, it was a sunset run in 1993 run that eased her troubled mind as she processed all the challenges that life was throwing her way. Running had been her solace since she was a girl. It was a way for her to break out of the set of societal rules and peer pressures that created what she referred to as the “girl box”: a suffocating place where anxiety about body image and self-determination easily led to lack of confidence.

An IronMan triathlete and social worker, Barker felt that there had to be a way to help young girls navigate their pre-teen years and emerge stronger, more self-confident, and better equipped to help one another. And she was certain that it would involve teaching girls to discover their inner athlete.

In 1996, she launched her first program with a small group of girls in North Carolina. Today, Girls On The Run (GOTR) has grown to include hundreds of thousands of girls in over 170 cities in the U.S. – including the Girls on the Run Dane County program.

GOTR is more than a sports club. For ten weeks, the girls not only improve their fitness levels, but also talk with their teammates and volunteer coaches about peer pressure, maintaining self-esteem, and encouraging each other to strive toward their dreams.

It makes a difference, says GOTR participant Jenna, who participated in the Girls On The Run Dane County 2012 Spring 5K event on June 9. “The program is really fun. We run together and we talk about a lot of things that are important for girls to know, like how to feel good about yourself and how to stand up to bullies.”

Over 600 girls, 175 coaches, and 600+ runners from the community gathered at McKee Farms Park in Fitchburg for the 5K run, which took place under a cloudless sky. After warming up with cheers and stretching directed by a purple-clad mascot named Running Man from a local fitness facility, the crowd listened to Junior sing the national anthem. Jenna's mother shared, “She also sang the national anthem at the Madison Mallards baseball game last night. It’s a pretty special thing that she decided to do because her dad just got back from [military] deployment.”

Every participant wore bib number “1” and focused on the overall experience rather than their race time. Girls On The Run Dane County Director Sara Pickard was all smiles as a steady flood of runners crossed the finish line, each girl receiving a pink medal.

But even as Pickard celebrated the day, she was planning for the future. “Our fall program starts on Labor Day at all of our sites,” she said. “The program sites will be posted on our web sites on July 1st, registration opens August 1st, the program starts September 5th, and it’s a 10-week program that finishes November 10th at the Waunakee Village Center.”

Interested in helping? There are many ways to get involved, from becoming a sponsor to volunteering at races. Volunteers can fill out a short form on the GOTR Dane County web site. Helping tomorrow’s leaders is fulfilling and inspiring.

And as for the girls, they’ll tell you: a girl on the run is a beautiful thing. Always.

Interested in more stories about athletes, sports, and sports photography in the Midwest and beyond? Join Focal Flame Photography on Facebook, Twitter, or Google+!

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Running the Distance: 2012 Lake Monona 20K and 5K

Can you outrun rain clouds? That was the question on racers’ minds on May 5, 2012, when 851 runners on the 20K course and 164 runners on the 5K course squinted up at overcast skies. But it was a different body of water that greeted them when the race started – the beautiful shores of Lake Monona curving along the lakefront running and bike path.

For runners in the region, the Lake Monona 20K has a long history of being a “runner’s race."  It's perfectly situated as a longer distance competition to prepare for the Madison Marathon or the 20 mile Syttende Mai ("Seventeenth of May") Run – part of the traditional Norwegian heritage celebrations involving a run from the steps of the Wisconsin State Capitol in Madison to Stoughton, Wisconsin.

Ed Peirick of Fitchburg, WI accomplished a personal record for the Lake Monona 20K route by finishing in 1:38:16 – over 5 minutes faster than his previous time. “Lake Monona 20k has been one of my 'must do' races since 2007,” said Peirick. “Compared to similar distance races, it's unbeatable for cost, course, t-shirt, volunteers, organizers, and post race food & entertainment.”

Steve Morstad of Monroe, WI also logged a PR on the 5K run course. Delighted with his finish line photo by Focal Flame Photography, Morstad wrote, “I really got a kick of your shot.  I have so much fun running... but you caught a flash of fierce grit as I pushed for a PR.  [It’s a] great shot that I am going to have fun with, with family and friends.”

The event ended with live music by Madison band Mighty Short Bus, and plentiful food and drink from Capital Brewery, Qdoba, and Quaker Steak & Lube.

And – as it turned out – every single participant did outrun the rain, which graciously held off. As for the photography conditions, clouds were perfect. “I love shooting in overcast weather,” said Focal Flame photographer Clint Thayer. “It’s like a natural diffuser – it eliminates hard shadows and really makes the photos pop.”

To follow more stories about sports photography, endurance events, and more, join the Focal Flame facebook page and Twitter feed! 

Artistry of Endurance Sports - Clint Thayer Exhibition at National Art Museum of Sport

Photos by Clint Thayer Selected for Exhibit on Racing at National Art Museum of Sport

Madison, WI and Indianapolis, IN – April 25, 2012 – The artistry of endurance sports is featured in a series of fine art photographs by Madison, WI photographer and Focal Flame Photography owner Clint Thayer. The photo essay has been selected for exhibition by the National Art Museum of Sport (NAMOS) in Indianapolis, IN. The exhibit, entitled Speed and Motion: Racing to the Finish Line, will run at NAMOS from May 23, 2012 through September, 2012. 

“The five images I am showing in this exhibition highlight the artistry of endurance sports, including triathlon, cycling, cyclocross, and swimming,” said Thayer.

“Racing is primal and intense, and I wanted to depict the fear, trepidation, anxiety, tension, and resolution that many endurance athletes experience during a race.”

Thayer is one of seven internationally recognized artists whose work will be displayed. Additional artists include Chris Bucher, Scott Fincher, Sayaka Ganz, Walter Knabe, Thomas Allen Pauly, and Mina Papatheodorou-Valyraki. 

Elizabeth Varner, Executive Director of NAMOS, said, “The exhibit features over 30 paintings, sculptures, photographs, and installations from many top sport artists worldwide. Representing a wide range of artistic media, Speed and Motion: Racing to the Finish Line captures the heart-pounding drama of racing [in 9 different sports]… we wanted pieces that would capture the power of racing, because everything about racing is larger than life – the crowds, the chaos, the loudness.”

In describing Thayer’s unique approach and perspective, Varner said,  “His work ‘Driving Rain’ was selected for exhibition during a juried 2011 competition [The 2nd Annual International Fine Arts Competition: Commitment to Excellence in Art & Sport]. There was tremendous reaction to ‘Driving Rain’  - just about everyone who saw it stopped in their tracks.”

Varner continued, “I like his photography immensely. I feel he is within the top three sport art photographers I have seen….While Clint Thayer has the technical capacity for conventional sports photographic technique, I think what sets him apart is that his style really crosses the boundary into true sport art. His work is so different; it captures the emotion and intensity of sport. They’re some of the most dynamic images I’ve seen.“

“I think that the power of motion in fine art photography is that it can be a bridge between representational images and abstractions,” said Thayer. “I use motion like I use light: to help frame and sculpt the visual narrative that’s in front of me.” 

Ms. Varner was particularly concerned about selecting artistic works capable of showing well in the expansive exhibition space of the museum. “The exhibition space at NAMOS is really best suited to large format art, and while many photographs are acceptable at small to medium format, not all work well at large format,” said Varner. “I knew from his previous showing that the scale of his pieces would really hit the mark, that it would really transform the exhibition space….When you present a photograph in large format, everything has to be absolutely perfect. I knew Thayer’s work could give that larger-than-life sense to viewers.”

Photographer Tom McInvaille, a past special assignment photographer for the United States Olympic Team, said, “Clint Thayer’s sport photography gives a fresh approach to an overly clichéd and highly predictable genre…Clint gives us a glimpse into the larger world of an athletes life.  Putting a Minor White admonition into the world of sports journalism: ‘... show us not the object but what the object represents,’  is courageous and reasonably unique. At a time when simple technical proficiency and overly saturated color seem to be the primary aesthetic principles driving today’s imagery, Clint’s sensitivity to narrative and metaphor is a welcome change.” 

McInvaille concluded, “I’ve had the pleasure of watching Mr. Thayer’s work evolve into easily accessible yet complex stories. This is an attribute found in only the best of photographs, sport or not.”

Founded in 1959, NAMOS maintains one of the largest collections of fine art depicting sport in the United States. The museum is dedicated to encouraging artists engaged in the genre, and also to collect, preserve, and share the best examples of sport art NAMOS can acquire. “The founder of NAMOS, Germain G. Glidden, was a portrait artist and champion squash player,” said NAMOS Executive Director Elizabeth C. Varner. “Glidden believed that sport art is like the Olympics: it has the power to bring together people from all over the world in peace,” said Varner. 

Over 40 sports are represented in the over 900 paintings, sculptures, and photographs at NAMOS. Artists whose works are included in the permanent collection include George Bellows, Ogden Pliessner, Winslow Homer, Ray Ellis, James Fiorentino, Joe Brown, and Alfred Boucher.

The museum’s first home was in Madison Square Garden in New York. It has been in Indianapolis since 1990 and is located at 850 West Michigan Street, Indianapolis, IN. NAMOS is open free to the public from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays. For group tours and weekend hours call 317.274.3627 or e-mail ecvarner@iupui.edu; for more information see http://www.namos.iupui.edu. An opening reception for Speed and Motion: Racing to the Finish Line will be held from 5:30-7:30 pm on Wednesday, May 23, 2012. 

The series by Clint Thayer is presented as 60” x 40” limited edition giclée archival prints on canvas, and all of the works are available for purchase. The series was sponsored in part by members of the Trek Midwest Team. 

2012 USA Cycling Cyclo-Cross Nationals: Mud, Sweat, and Cheers

Focal Flame Photography was honored to cover the 2012 USA Cycling Cyclo-Cross National Championship races held near Madison, Wisconsin. Over 1,000 racers and 5,000 fans rained down on Badger Prairie Park, where they were met with sunlit skies, unseasonably warm January temperatures, and a sea of muddy goodness on the course. To view and purchase photos from the event, click here.  

Focal Flame Photography writer Robyn Perrin reported on the Collegiate and U23 Women's races while Focal Flame photographer was on assignment for the Madison Area Sports Commissions. A version of this article appeared on the Cyclocross Magazine web site. 

VERONA, WI - JANUARY 7, 2012  - - Sun and mud were both abundant for the D1 and D2 Collegiate Women’s race at the 2012 USA Cyclo-Cross National Championships in Madison, Wisconsin. D1 and D2 women were on the field simultaneously for the 4-lap race – the D2 field starting 1 minute behind the Division 1 women.

When asked for predictions prior to the start of the race, USA Cycling Collegiate & High School Cycling Manager Jeffrey Hansen said, “Coryn Rivera and Katie Antonneau are the surefire bets for somewhere on the podium.” Hansen’s words proved prophetic as two of the most highly decorated women’s cyclists in the world – who happen to be best friends, roommates, and teammates – duked it out in the Division 1 Collegiate race.

“I got the hole shot and I was in the lead for about three quarters of the lap, then I took a nice digger on a corner,” said Coryn Rivera (Marian University/Tustin, CA). “Katie [Antonneau} took the lead  - which is fine, because she’s my teammate. As long as Marian [University] was up there, I was OK with a teammate passing me,” said Rivera.

Both Rivera and Kaitlin Antonneau (Marian University/Racine, WI) were careful to maintain control without depleting their energy reserves entirely, since both are racing in the Elite/U23 race on Sunday, January 8. “I think I pulled Katie as close as 10-15 seconds away,” said Rivera. The final gap was 23 seconds as Antonneau remained comfortably in control, giving an understated one-handed wave at the finish as she claimed the national title.

“I like the course a lot. It’s tough,” said Antonneau. “I think racing today helped because it got a lot of nerves out of the way for tomorrow… I pushed it hard through some parts just to see where I could risk it, but it was good,” said Antonneau, who relentlessly powered it to the finish line in 42:47 at a pace of 19.07 kph.

While the D1 race played out with few surprises from some of the most decorated women’s cyclists in the world, the D2 race winner was a bit of a dark horse. Before the race, Hansen mentioned Rebecca Gross (University of Denver/Lakewood, CO) and Kimberly Flynn (University of Tennessee-Chattanooga/Hixson, TN) as top picks. Hanson also said, “Mars Hills College is a team to watch.”

One to watch, indeed. South African Mariske Strauss, a top-level mountain biker and recently recruited to Mars Hill College can now add a cyclocross National Champion title to her credentials – from her first-ever cyclocross race. Laughing and flush with excitement, Strauss said, “This was actually my first cyclocross event ever, so I just decided to take it as it comes and go as hard as I can for as long as I can…I just went out and had some fun racing for my Mars Hill College cycling team.”

Strauss scorched the course in 47:22, finishing 13 seconds ahead of second-place Rebecca Gross. Kimberly Flynn rounded out the podium to finish 3rd in 48:55.

Strauss is the current South African cross country mountain bike champion, and placed 18th at the 2011 the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships. She is a hopeful for the 2012 Olympic cycling team for South Africa.

When asked for reflections about the USA Cycling Cyclo-Cross Nationals course, Lindsay Knight (University of Chicago/Chicago, IL) said, “Really muddy, and really slick. I actually wish it had been more technical, more turns, more trees, more tight stuff.” Others found it more to their liking, including Brittany Clawson (Fort Lewis College/Sandpoint, ID). “I’m more of an mountain biker and downhiller, and I love the mud, I love the mucky-muck. This was awesome,” said Clawson.

Many of the racers faced off once again in the Elite/U23 race at noon the next day. It proved to be another powerful battle, with Katie Compton - a force of nature in the cyclocross world - taking her 8th straight National title. In second place overall was none other than her starring pupil: Katie Antonneau, who has been coached by Compton. Teacher and student took first and second place on the podium in an inspiring display of hard work and discipline. 

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Youth Athletes Take the Stage at IronKids Madison

As the date for the New Balance 3rd Annual Girls on the Run 5K in Dane County approaches, set to run in Waunakee, WI on Saturday Nov. 12, Focal Flame Photography turns our thoughts to another youth athletic event earlier this season: the IronKids triathlon, presented in Madison for the first time in 2011. After profiling young athletes at the race on behalf of the Greater Madison Visitors and Convention Bureau and the Madison Area Sports Commission, Focal Flame Photographer Clint Thayer remarked, "There's just nothing like the energy of young, fired-up kids giving it their all on the race course. It's so much fun seeing them have a blast." 

[Writer's note: a version of this article appeared in the Off the Couch blog of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Sept. 10, 2011. - Robyn M. Perrin]

Saturday, Sept. 10 – Middleton, WI - On the eve of the 2011 Ford IronMan Wisconsin for adult triathletes, 318 youth ages 6 to 15 years participated in the first-ever IronKids Madison race.

Triathletes participated in one of three age divisions, with distances ranging from 50 yd swim/2 mi bike/500 yd run for the Juniors up to a 300 yd swim/8 mi bike/2 mi run for the Seniors.

“The majority of IronKids athletes are first-timers,” said Christine Hanlon, Athlete Services and Marketing Coordinator for IronKids at World Triathlon Corporation.

The chutes and transition area were lined with parents and fans, many carrying homemade signs to encourage their athletes. The bike racks in the transition area carried a high proportion of mountain bikes.

Smiles were abundant on both novice and experienced youth triathletes. Many traveled to Madison from Green Bay, Milwaukee, the Twin Cities, areas in Illinois, and even beyond.

Dan Marrello of Riverside, IL cheered on his daughter Chloe Marrello, 12, as she finished her race. “We had [a triathlon] in Riverside a couple of weeks ago, and her bike tires weren’t exactly inflated quite right. As soon as it was over we went back home and she begged me, ‘Dad, look up another race, try to find me another one.’ So this is number two for her.”

Although the IronKids race series has been run since 1985, the World Triathlon Corporation assumed ownership of the series from former owner Sara Lee Corp., and is now offering 24 IronKids races nationwide.

“Many of the athletes participating in IronKids today have parents who are participating in the IronMan tomorrow,” said Hanlon.

Such was the case with Alexandra Lorenz, age 13, of Dundee, IL. Lorenz won the female division for the Senior category and was third across the finish line overall. “My dad’s doing the IronMan tomorrow,” said Lorenz. When asked if she had any thoughts for him, she said, “I just want to wish him good luck, and I’ll be out there to cheer him on all day.”

Although Lorenz attends a small school, a triathlon club in her town helps youth train for events like the IronKids. The boy’s winner of the Senior division, Maxx Hall, is one of Lorenz’s teammates.

The growing popularity of youth triathlon is no surprise to Cindi Bannink, Owner of Madison Multisport, which fielded a Juniors triathlon team for 2011 – the first in the Madison area. “Hunter Kemper, a 3-time Olympian representing the United States, started in IronKids and he’s in his 30s now,” said Bannink. “So [IronKids] has been around for a while, but it’s building momentum.”

One consideration for high school triathletes who also compete on fall team sports is that they are ineligible for races such as IronKids Madison if they occur during the academic year. Bannink said, “Once the fall high school season sports start, athletes are restricted by the high school Athletic Association rules. So they actually can’t participate today if they are on a sport that involves the same thing,” preventing high school swimmers or cross country runners from competing in September triathlons.

But as a group of football players practiced on a field across from the start/finish area, the juxtaposition of classical team sports and endurance sports that are increasingly popular was notable.

“This is just fun, the kids getting out here and being active and doing something different and new,” said Bannink. “Triathlon [is] growing in the U.S., it’s the fastest-growing sport, I believe…this is where it starts. This is the grassroots.”

Focal Flame Photography is honored to share the stories of youth athletes at IronKids Madison and other events througout the Midwest. We've included several of our favorite images from the race. Look for upcoming event photography for the 3rd Annual New Balance Girls on the Run 5K and visit focalflamestore.com to purchase prints, digitals, T-shirts and more! 

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2011 Madison Mud Run Fall Challenge: Overcoming Obstacles

On Saturday, October 29, 2011, a bizarre sight unfolded at Festival Park and Badger Prairie Park in Verona, Wisconsin. A slew of runners - about 1,064 runners to be exact - descended upon the park, many dressed in costume. All of the costumes were assembled with care and creativity. All would be splattered with mud, shredded, and and for the most part ruined on the obstacles of the 5-mile course, which included a wall climb, monkey bars, a balance beam, and a giant mud pit.

One costume was worn by Maria Parker of Janesville, WI. Parker had entered the 5-mile obstacle race as a team member along with her office co-workers. While the experience was inspired by a simple desire to have a shared experience that would generate good water cooler conversation for years to come, for Parker, it ended up becoming a metaphor for life. Here, she shares her thoughts with Focal Flame Photography writer Robyn Perrin.

Focal Flame Photography: Why did you decide to participate in the Fall Challenge Mud Run?

Maria Parker: I was looking for a physical challenge to commemorate my 40th birthday. I'd considered a couple of other events but it wasn't until [some] co-workers decided to recruit a company team that I finally committed to the Mud Run. Several friends have run similar events in the past and I always thought it would be fun to participate in a Mud Run so I figured, 'Why not,' especially if I'd have co-workers along side me.

FFP: What was the story behind the costumes chosen by your team?

MP: The organizers of our group decided it would be fun to have a costume theme, but we needed something that would work for 15-20 people. The Wizard of Oz was selected. There are so many characters to pick from that it allowed each of us to find something that matched our personalities. I choose to be Auntie Em.

FFP: How did the race unfold?

MP: I had expected to be completing the event with a couple of co-workers by my side to assist with obstacles but they had all left me behind even before the first one. This turned out to be a really nice, actually - it allowed me to reflective on the event and the reason why I had signed up to begin with: to celebrate my 40th.

In some ways the Mud Run was like the journey of life. At the beginning, I was all gung ho but yet had some apprehension. But when I arrived at the first obstacle, all I could think was, 'What am I getting myself into?!' That thought was followed by, 'You can't back down now, just jump in and plunge ahead!'

Not being as fit as most participants, I knew I'd be walking most of the course and that there would be be obstacles I would have to forego and walk around. So each one became a decision as to whether I should even attempt it. Just like taking risks in life, you weigh each obstacle based on a number of factors, make a decision, and go with it. 'Plan Bs' are optional, often developed on the fly, and your fears may not be realized until mid-stream. But the best part of all was crossing the finish line. I completed the course and crawled through mud, ready to take on whatever came before me.

FFP: So what's next?

MP: What lies before me is another journey. As I turn 40, I'm embarking on a new path. My life partner and I are forming a women's tackle football team based in Rockford, IL. The Rockford Riveters will provide women in Northwestern Illinois the opportunity to play a sport that has traditionally been off-limits to them. As with any business venture, I expect many ups and downs to come along with this path. Some challenges will be easy, some will bring hesitation, some will bring fear - but the goal is to meet them all and to stand strong in the end.

All of these points were brought home while I completed the Mud Run, and all of them were points that we hope to see fulfilled on the gridiron for the women who play for the Rockford Riveters and for the fans in the stands.

Focal Flame Photography is honored to share the stories of Maria Parker and other participants in the Madison Mud Run. We've included several of our favorite images from the race. To see more, visit the 2011 Mud Run Galleries on the Focal Flame Photography online store. All images are available for purchase as prints, digitals, T-shirts, or more. 

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