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Tarpon Springs, FL (December 6, 2006) – Tune in this Saturday, December 9 as NBC airs the 2006 Ford Ironman World Championship from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. EST.
The Emmy award-winning broadcast was taped on location in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii on October 21, 2006 as nearly 1,700 athletes completed the world’s most challenging endurance event. The broadcast leads viewers on a 140.6 mile journey through the lava fields of Hawaii where professional and age group athletes push themselves to a variety of mental and physical limits. Watch as athletes complete a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike and a 26.2 mile run in succession within the 17-hour timeframe.
Two-time world champion, Normann Stadler from Germany and Australia’s Michellie Jones celebrated victorious finishes this year. Additionally, several other athletes demonstrated the Ironman spirit. Those include:
· David Rozelle -- While in Iraq, commanding 140 troops of the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, Captain David Rozelle lost part of his right leg when a landmine exploded under his Humvee. With intensive rehabilitation, as a below-the-knee amputee, Rozelle returned to active duty and an active lifestyle. After completing the 2004 San Diego Triathlon Challenge, he became a mentor in the Challenged Athletes Foundation’s Operation Rebound Program and set his sights on the Ford Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.
· David Samson – As President of the Florida Marlins Major League Baseball Team, Samson was inspired to complete an Ironman after watching the 1995 Ironman broadcast. His lifelong dream became a reality this year while he raced to raise money for two charities close to his heart, the Challenged Athletes Foundation and the Florida Marlins Community Foundation, an organization that promotes educational, athletic, health and community service programs with a particular focus on South Florida’s youth.
· Jon Blais – Blais completed the 2005 Ford Ironman World Championship despite being diagnosed with ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. This year, Blais returned to Kona to celebrate the athletic accomplishments of new supporters of “The War on ALS.”
· Sister Madonna Buder – At 76 years of age, Buder holds the title of the oldest female finisher of the Ford Ironman World Championship and also became this year’s last official finisher with a time of 16:59:03.
For more information on Ironman, visit www.ironman.com.
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