Meeting Schedule for 2021

Meetings are typically held on the first Monday of the each month and all active members are encouraged to attend. Our future depends on the thoughts, suggestions, ideas and input to improve our club.

At this time meetings are planned for Feb 1st, March 1st, April 5th, May 3rd, June 7th, July 5th, August 2nd, September 6th, October 4th, November 1st and December 6th @ 7pm via Zoom, with special meetings called as required. The link for Zoom will be placed on our Members Only Facebook page. The link for Zoom will be on our Members Only Facebook page.

David Marin - President

David Marin moved to Augusta from Atlanta in 2017 and is an Atlanta based Delta pilot.

His first triathlon was the Hot Dam Sprint in 2018 and he has since completed two 70.3 Ironman events, Chattanooga and Augusta.

In 2021, he is looking forward to completing his first full Ironman race.

Chuck Messick - Vice President

TriAugusta Member since 2014
Retired Navy Reserve Diver and from the DOE National Nuclear Security Administration
Started triathlons in early 1980’s up to 1990 in Virginia Beach when there was no name for shorter triathlons and when half-ironman races didn’t exist to my knowledge
Ran the equivalent to Sprint and Olympic-type events in the 80’s
Moved to CSRA in 1990 and didn’t restart triathlons until 2014 when I retired and learned of the Augusta Half Ironman except small events when I found them
Enjoy helping the TA club to continue the sport of triathlons in the area
Hope to make the Augusta Half Ironman podium before retiring the sport, but may need to age up a couple more times!

Caroline Atseff - Treasurer

I started doing triathlons in 2016 – my first race was Fort Gordon’s “Dare to Tri”. It continues to be my favorite sprint race. I typically compete in all the local races, because not only are they awesome, it’s important to support them or we won’t have them! I completed Ironman 70.3 Augusta three times. To continue improving, I joined Masters Swimming and obtained a Triathlon Coach. I’m currently training for Ironman 70.3 Chattanooga and my first full, Ironman 144.6 Chattanooga. Thanks to TriAugusta members for making my journey more successful and enjoyable!

Christolz Gerhardt-Vassar - Secretary

Christolz’s bio

Kelly Beuhner - Membership

Kelly’s Bio

Thomas Cowlam - Training Coordinator

Thomas Cowlam, a TriAugusta member since 2014, is our new training coordinator and has a pretty impressive t-shirt collection. He has served on the board of the Aiken Running Club as secretary, 2015-2019 and as the president, 2019-2020.

140.6 and 70.3 Races

Ironman Louisville 2017 and 2019
Ironman Florida 2018
Ironman North Carolina 2016

Ironman Augusta 70.3 2015-2019
Ironman Raleigh 70.3 2018
Ironman Chattanooga 70.3 2018
Ironman Gulf Coast 70.3 2017

Marathons

NYC Marathon 2019
Kiawah 2017
Columbia 2017

Savannah 2015, 2016
Columbia 2016
Darlington 2013

David Brown - Hospitality Coordinator

I retired from being a Nurse Anesthetist at age 66. I was interested in doing a triathlon so I started training. My first triathlon was at Cedars of Lebanon State Park in Tennessee in 2015 . My son and I did the race together and I have been hooked ever since. My longest race was Muncie Indiana 70.3. I have completed races across Georgia. The great part is the connections and friends I have made while participating in triathlons. The people I have met have provide so much help in helping me achieve my goals. It is a great sport full of great people.

Norman Cooper - Member at Large

My adventure into triathlons started when I was running a with group of awesome runners from Fleet Feet of Augusta. They decided to form a group to participate in the Augusta Half Ironman Race. I am the type of guy that says “If they can do it, I can do it” so I went looking for a bike and a place to swim. After being in a swim league as a kid, I certainly underestimated the effort it would take to swim just 100 yards in a pool. I found a bike and hit the road. I was hooked and on the way to my first 70.3. One day, after watching the Ironman World Championship, the “If they can, I can” clicked again and I set my sights on 140.6 and completed Ironman Louisville in 2019.

I have to add that had it not been for Fleet Feet and everyone in TriAugusta, I would have never accomplished something I thought I could have never done. TriAugusta rocks!

Kathrine Capehardt - Member at Large

Katherine (Rine) Capehart, a professional couch potato living in Greenville, South Carolina discovered running as a way to shed baby weight after the birth of her second child in 2013. What originally started as a chore, quickly became a lifestyle. After an injury in 2015, Rine picked up cycling and after some training, attempted her first Sprint Triathlon at a Rambling Rose event in Charlotte, North Carolina. Rine was obsessed and wanted to tackle other triathlons, but life had other plans. It wasn’t until 2018 after moving to Evans, Georgia – surrounded by lakes and trails that Rine became drawn to all the possibilities the area offered. Rine gives all the credit to fellow runner, Chuck Messick for encouraging her to join the club to continue her triathlon endeavors.

Rich Baker - Member at Large

AKA -- The Wealthy Chef

It all began in 2012, Thanksgiving weekend in Hot Springs, NC, I was 285 lbs weight, going up, I did not want to end up dead from comorbidities. I needed to change my life course. So during the first half of 2013, I lost a bunch of weight (over 100 lbs) and I wanted to keep it off. I wanted in increase my activity levels from the sedentary office worker. I did my first 5K on the canal that summer then some of my coworkers talked about doing a triathlon. I said, me triathlon, maybe. So in August, I did the Langley Pond Sprint. I came in 2nd to last amongst all male competitors. I still remember sitting upright riding that mountain bike as the speedy high dollar triathlon bikes passed me going 20+ mph like I was sitting still and passing that last guy on the dam heading to the finish line. That got me hooked. Later that year I joined TA and met some good peeps, the likes of Chad K, Stu, Meredith, Nancy C, and Devon K. I volunteered later that year to be on the Board of Directors as the club secretary and parliamentarian. I guess my first stint on the board of directors was from Fall 2013 thru December 2016.

In 2014, I did 5 sprints with Langley Pond being the last of the year in which I beat my time from 2013 by 30 minutes. Because I did not feel I was ready to tackle Augusta Half Ironman, I volunteered and was the Stripper Captain – awesome job. I also completed a Kiawah Marathon that year in December. I actually got on the podium on a few races – bling was nice.

In 2015, I did nine races, sprints and Olympic distances with the Augusta Half Ironman as the finale. In 2016, I continued training, racing, and volunteering with the Board of Directors. I also did the AHIM again – this time it was hot as surface of the sun and I vowed I will never go back. Once again, podiums came and went, I realized that I was only racing myself not others. Training for scheduled races was my mantra – if I was training, I was in shape.

In 2017, with a job change, I was not as serious in my training for the majority of the year doing a couple of sprints, miscellaneous 5K’s and substituted the long race with a Spartan Sprint in Sparta, SC. I volunteered for AHIM at the aid station at SRS with training buddy, Susie F. I saw my weight gradually increase over the year.

In 2018, I missed the training with the TA peeps, like Marci L & Chris A, and jumped back into training but due to a multitude of injuries primarily from a major weight gain (up to ~230 again) I ended up completing the AHIM that year with 5 minutes to spare before being disqualified. I was in so much pain.

In 2019, I realized I had to lose some weight before I could train and compete again, thanks to the help from Bob F, another amazing TriAugusta athlete – I completed a few races during the year and completed the NC 70.3 Beach to Battleship in October. Since I did not compete in 2019 at AHIM, I volunteered again this time in Swim transition with Susan, another great TA volunteer. I also rejoined the Board of Directors in the Summer of 2019 as a member at large at the request of Marci, then I was elected as the Board President in 2020, and now back to being a Member at Large.

What I like most about TriAugusta, is the great friends I have met over the years. This is reflected in the TA discrimination statement, “Furthermore, TriAugusta does not care that you may have never completed a triathlon, sprint distance or distance, nor is TriAugusta concerned that you swim like a rock, don’t own a bike, or win every race you enter.”

Family – Happily married to Tracey since 2012 — a supportive wife who allows me the time to train. I have three wonderful sons: a senior at Augusta University, a fireman and an auto mechanic. Much to my dismay, my wife has convinced me that the three cats in the house is okay.

Other Hobbies include backpacking/hiking on the Appalachian Trail as well as cruising on the high seas.

At first, it was about the medals and podiums, now it is about the fellowship I enjoy with the members of TA.

Happy Training

Rich Baker

Diane Alexander - Member at Large

“U Can Be A Triathlete!”

That was the headline of the hospital newsletter that hooked me in 2009. During the first meeting to explain what participating in a triathlon entailed, he played a Power Point presentation of photos with the song “Lunatic Fringe” as the soundtrack. With the hooks firmly set, Brian Patterson formed and trained a group of around 60 to participate in the Langley Pond Sprint Triathlon on April 24th, 2010. The TriAugusta Triathlon Club would be formed later that year.

I don’t think I had ever heard of Ironman or even triathlon until then. But I was hooked. Back in 2010, my lofty goal was to run a 5K without stopping. I could not imagine running a marathon, biking 112 miles and swimming 2.4 miles. I have since participated in 3 “full” Ironman races. The two I managed to complete were both shortened by canceled swims and a shortened bike course. The only entire full, Louisville in 2017 did not go so well!!!

Louisville 2017 was a day to test the mettle of all participants. The current in the Ohio River was very strong and record times were recorded for the swim. We didn’t know how much that current would cost us in a few hours. The storm blowing in was going to deliver sustained winds of 40MPH on a very hilly course. Cold and rain took its toll. After just 5 miles of the run, I knew I was in trouble. My feet were blistering. I survived to mile 20 and then collapsed. After waiting for a ride back to the finish, I believe I might could have gone if not for the blistered feet. Not a day goes by that I do not wish I had at least tried.

In 2019, I went back to Louisville and I now have my “claim to fame.” The Ohio River was suffering from an overgrowth of green algae so the swim was canceled. The canceled swim really messes up the timing. We were given 14:30 to complete the course instead of the 16:30 we would have had. The rules of an Ironman race are to be a recorded finisher, you must finish within the allotted time. If you go over that time, and you have managed to sneak past the course cut-off times, you can go on. I only just barely made the very last cut-off and had only 20 minutes to make it to the finish. I would need nearly ever second of that 20 minutes. With only 20 seconds left on the official race clock, I managed to be the last person allowed to finish. Ironman Louisville 2020 was to be the end of the contract for this race. However, it was canceled because of the pandemic. With the race contract unrenewed, the race is no longer a race. Thus….I became the very last person to finish Ironman Louisville@4th Street Live…..EVER!