Posted: July 12, 2005

Triathlon: NHL Hall-of Famer Pat LaFontaine to compete at 2005 Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid

LAKE PLACID, N.Y.— NHL Hall-of-Famer Pat LaFontaine (Lloyd Harbor, N.Y.) will compete at the Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid Triathlon to be held on Sunday, July 24 in Lake Placid, N.Y.

LaFontaine will be competing for Companions in Courage, a charity he founded, along with friends Bob DeAngelo and Pete Smith.

LaFontaine is one of the top U.S.-born hockey players to ever compete in the National Hockey League, being named to the NHL All-Star team six times during his career with the New York Islanders, Buffalo Sabres and New York Rangers. LaFontaine was forced to retire at the age of 31 due to recurring concussions and was elected to the NFL Hall of Fame in 2003.

LaFontaine competed in the 2004 Ford Ironman Florida and finished the event with an overall time of thirteen hours, six minutes and 49 seconds. LaFontaine raised more than $33,000 for Companions in Courage through the Janus Charity Challenge program at the event.

The goal of Companions in Courage is to build interactive playrooms in children's hospitals throughout North America. Through innovative communications tools, these playrooms will replace the isolation of a hospital with a connection to family, friends and celebrities during their hospital stay.

One unique change at Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid is that it will serve as a women’s only professional race in 2005.

A $50,000 women’s pro prize purse will be awarded at the 2005 Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid triathlon. A $50,000 pro prize purse for professional men was given at the third annual Ford Ironman USA Coeur d’Alene in June of this year.

More than 2,000 triathletes from around the world are expected to compete at the 2005 Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid. Athletes will be competing for 80 qualifying spots to the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, as well as a $50,000 women’s pro prize purse.