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

Caroline’s Bio
Christolz Gerhardt-Vassar - Secretary

Christolz’s bio
Kelly Beuhner - Membership

Kelly’s Bio
Mike Lotter - Training Coordinator

Mike’s Bio
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
Happy Training
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!



















