Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/519795
JUNE / JULY 2015 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | 35 There's no better time to live in Seattle than summer—long days, wonderful weather, and Seafair there to anchor it all." " "It's a great way to say thanks to some of the men and women serving in our armed forces," President & CEO Chuck Nelson says. Other WAC members look to Seafair with a singular focus—competing in the Seafair Triathlon, this year set for Sunday, July 19. WAC Tri/Cycle Club members Stacie and Leif Johnson will be competing for the third consecutive year. The couple evolved from cycling to duathlons before progressing to their first triathlon. "It was inspirational for us to watch the triathletes compete and we thought, 'We can do that,'" recalls Leif, who played fullback on the 1991 University of Washington national championship football team. "And if we were going to do a triathlon, the one we wanted to do first was Seafair. It is the most iconic Seattle triathlon event." They worked their way up from the sprint distance to the Olympic distance, and Stacie, a former mid-distance runner at U.S. Military Academy at West Point, is starting to think about a half-Ironman, as well. Stacie and Leif both credit the Tri/Cycle Club for helping them train and compete. "While we were both strong cyclists and runners, neither one of us was a strong swimmer," Stacie recalls. "We began swim- ming at the WAC before tri season to build endurance and tran- sitioned to open-water training out of Madison Park Beach in the early summer. Training with the Tri/Cycle Club has given us the support and confidence to compete while still having fun." Stacie & Leif Johnson L - R : S E A F A I R , E M I LY R A S I N S K I , L U K E R U TA N E R I C F L O Y D JUNE / JULY 2015 | Washington Athletic Club Magazine | 35