World Triathlon

Colorado Springs, Colo. - Hunter Kemper will be awarded the Jim Thorpe All-Around Award in a ceremony to be held February 8, 2006, at 3 P.M. in the Presidents Room in the Visitors Center of the United States Olympic Center. All local and national media are invited to attend. When asked how he felt about receiving the award, Kemper said: “It is an honor to receive this prestigious award named after one of the greatest athletes of all time, Jim Thorpe.” Kemper is the first U.S. male to ever reach the ranking of No. 1 in the world, the position he finished the 2005 season in. A two-time Olympian, three-time International Triathlon Union World Cup winner and five-time U.S. pro champion, he was recently named 2005 male Triathlete of the year by the U.S. Olympic Committee. According to Skip Gilbert, Executive Director of USA Triathlon: Hunter is a consummate professional both on and off the race course. His dedication as an athlete and his ability to promote his sport to aspiring triathletes is helping to fuel the multi-sport lifestyle. USAT congratulates Hunter in receiving this award and exhibiting the qualities that exemplify superior athletic prowess. The Jim Thorpe All-Around Award is named after the legendary Native American athlete who won the Gold Medal in the Pentathlon and Decathlon before an illustrious professional football career. The award is presented by the United States Sports Academy (USSA) as part of the Academy Awards of Sport Medallion series. Some of the previous winners of the Jim Thorpe All-Around Award include Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Kristin Folkl, Danny Ainge and Deion Sanders. The United States Sports Academy, Americas Sport University, is an independent, nonprofit institution that offers sport-specific programs to students, teachers, and administrators around the world. For more information about the United States Sports Academy, call 251-626-3303 or visit the Academys website www.ussa.edu. USA Triathlon is the national governing body for triathlon, duathlon, aquathlon and winter triathlon in the United States. USAT sanctions 1,800 races and connects with more than 60,000 members each year, making it the largest multi-sport organization in the world. For more information on this and other stories related to USA Triathlon, please contact Christina LeClerc at 719-597-9090, ext. 109 or at Christina@USATriathlon.org. Please visit USA Triathlons web site at www.usatriathlon.org.