Patriotism prevails
Armed Forces triathletes give everything they've got at Point Mugu
By Stephen Dorman sdorman@theacorn.com

BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers BROTHERS IN ARMS- An exhausted Sgt. Michael Bergquist, center, is assisted by J.W. Arrow, left, of Oxnard and Doug Jackson, right, of Santa Paula at the finish line of the Armed Forces Triathlon held at Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu last Saturday.

A United States Marine Corps captain collapsed at the finish line and was carried away by three large servicemen. Another man, from the Army, watched in pain as a sea of crimson flowed from a gash in his leg and onto the pavement below.

Meanwhile, just a short distance away, others from the Navy and Air Force were being worked on by medical personnel, their knees strapped to HWave machines to ease the impending muscle soreness.

Boot camp revisited? Set of a Hollywood movie? Not exactly.

The walking wounded were participants in last Saturday's U.S. Armed Forces Triathlon Championships at Naval Base Ventura County Point Mugu.

Eighty servicemembers from four factions of the U.S. Armed Forces competed in a 1,500-meter ocean swim, 24.8-mile bike race and 6.2mile run on an overcast morning on the shores of the Pacific.

BILL SPARKES/Acorn Newspapers IT'S NOT THAT EASY- Navy Lt. Timothy O'Donnell breezes over the finish line almost five minutes ahead of his nearest competitor.

Navy Lt. Timothy O'Donnell, who posted a time of one hour, 49 minutes to win the event for the fifth consecutive year, said it's always an honor to go head-to-head against servicemembers from the Marine Corps, Air Force and Army.

"For the two hours when everybody is on the course, it's on," said O'Donnell, an explosive ordnance disposal specialist who's currently training with the U.S. Olympic team in Colorado Springs, Colo. "There aren't too many friends out there. It's a battle. But once you finish, everybody knows that all the athletes really, really work hard . . .

"There's no other race in the country, in my opinion, where everyone in the race is so dedicated to being able to train while still working. It's a very impressive group of people," O'Donnell said.

After crossing the finish line, O'Donnell was handed a medal. Problem was, an error had occurred, and he still needed to complete one final lap. With a big lead, O'Donnell went back out on the course and finished the race.

"That wasn't a big deal," he said. "I'm just honored to be able to represent the Navy. When I race at the World Cup-level, I wear the Navy EOD logo. Hopefully I'm doing them proud."

Marine Corps 2nd Lt. Justine Whipple, stationed at MCB Quantico in Virginia, finished first in the women's division.

In the men's overall team competition, the Navy successfully defended its crown from last year. The Air Force finished second, with the Army and Marine Corps in third and fourth, respectively.

On the women's side, the Air Force followed up its 2006 victory with another team title in '07. The Army finished second, followed by the Marine Corps and Navy.

In October, the top five male and female finishers will take part in the World Military Triathlon Championships in India.

Army Sgt. 1st Class Colleen Giles, a 1988 graduate of Oxnard High, traveled from Fort Hood, Texas, to run in the race. She'd been training for the event since returning from deployment overseas last November.

"It's a tough thing to do, and there are definitely rivalries and competition," Giles said. "But even though we all talk smack to each other, we all have the same goal: Protect the nation."

Finishing 16th overall was Navy Lt. Andrew Baldwin.

Baldwin, a diver stationed in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, recently starred on ABC's reality show "The Bachelor." It was his third time running the race but first appearance since 2004.

"It's great to be back at the Naval Base in Point Mugu. It's awesome," Baldwin said. "It's a beautiful thing that we can come together from all around the world to be here for this. These people work hard and are all talented athletes."

The Admiral's Cup, featuring servicemembers and civilians, took place prior to the triathlon. Competitors had to run 3 miles, bike for 9 miles and swim 400 meters.

According to Baldwin, the stars of the Admiral's Cup were Team Semper Fi, a group of amputees who were wounded while serving in Iraq.

"They are the true heroes- Team Semper Fi," Baldwin said. "We all have such admiration for those guys and their courage and perseverance."