Simon Whitfield and Lisa Bentley to be Inducted into Triathlon Canada Hall of Fame

Simon Whitfield and Lisa Bentley will be inducted into Triathlon Canada Hall of Fame on August 28. The two powerhouses of Canadian triathlon are in Edmonton for the 2014 TransCanada Corp World Triathlon Grand Final.

Whitfield became the  face of triathlon in Canada with his  gold medal at the 2000 Olympic Summer Games and is one of Canada’s most prestigious Olympians around the world. A trailblazer for the sport in Canada, the two-time Olympic medallist who was the nation’s flag bearer at his fourth Olympics in 2012, Whitfield is a role model to thousands of athletes around the world.  In addition to his two Olympic medals (gold in 2000, and silver in 2008), the Victoria resident won a gold medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, captured 14 World Cup victories and 12 Canadian Championship titles.

Bentley has been a leader on and off the race circuit. She battled through Cystic Fibrosis to become one of the most accomplished Ironman athletes in the world  winning 11 Ironman races and finishing third at the Ironman World Championships in 2006. Bentley, of Etobicoke, Ont., left her professional career as a high school math teacher in Ontario to focus solely on competing in Ironman. She claimed three Ironman Canada titles and was a member of multiple national teams. Like Whitfield, Bentley  has inspired  countless athletes to take up the sport.

“The names Simon Whitfield and Lisa Bentley are synonymous with the sport of triathlon in Canada,” said Luc Landriault, president, Triathlon Canada. “Both of these exceptional Canadians have done some heavy lifting to ensure our sport’s credibility in Canada over the last two decades, which in turn has sparked the tremendous growth of triathlon and Ironman’s for all ages across the country. It is a true honour to welcome them into Triathlon Canada’s Hall of Fame.”

Triathlon Canada will hold the induction ceremony on August 28, at 4 p.m. in the Alberta Ball Room at the Chateau Lacombe Hotel.

With input from the press release.