Thoughts to family and friends. She was an amazing athlete:
Jackie won the ITU Worlds in Tri (Cleveland 1996) and Duathlon and silver several times at ITU Worlds including in our “back yard” in Montreal 1999 on the Formula 1 circuit. If I recall correctly after retiring from tri, she also ran 2:37 at the Boston Marathon:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jackie_Fairweather
As a fan, thanks for the great memories. That running stride even off the bike was like art in motion.
Indeed, sad news
Jackie was one of those mid-generation/age (of the sport), transitional triathletes, pre-Olympic Games, pre-Ironman being a big deal, who was one of the absolute best, and never really got the recognition she deserves.
In Australia she did, but beyond that few would know who she is and what she did, and that is unfortunate.
RIP
Sad news
My condolences to her family and friends
For anyone interested in learning about her and her career IM Talk’s Legends of Triathlon podcast did a nice interview with her last summer.
Very sad. I definitely remember her smile and racing tenacity.
Wow. Sobering news. Far too young.
Curious that cause of death was not listed.
Accidents and long battles with illness are usually acknowledged.
ITU World’s 1999 was like a team Australia practice run in the lead up to Sydney:
1LorettaHarropAUS
01:55:2800:18:3700:00:3600:59:0000:00:3400:36:43
2JackieGallagherAUS01:56:0000:19:5100:00:3600:59:1000:00:3400:35:48
3EmmaCarneyAUS01:56:1900:20:0000:00:3700:59:0400:00:3200:36:08
4MichellieJonesAUS01:56:1900:19:4900:00:3600:59:1100:00:3400:36:08
5JoanneKingAUS01:56:3500:19:5300:00:4100:59:0500:00:3400:36:23
Edit…way back in 41st place was Brigitte McMahon who took gold in Sydney later busted for EPO but not during the Olympics. Too bad more people will know Brigitte than Jackie.
Wow. Sobering news. Far too young.
Curious that cause of death was not listed.
Accidents and long battles with illness are usually acknowledged.
She took her own life…
Wow. Sobering news. Far too young.
Curious that cause of death was not listed.
Accidents and long battles with illness are usually acknowledged.
She took her own life…
I don’t see where it says that. I think maybe you misread this - “Athletes she was responsible for were told of her death yesterday.” as “she was responsible for her death.”
Wow. Sobering news. Far too young.
Curious that cause of death was not listed.
Accidents and long battles with illness are usually acknowledged.
She took her own life…
http://www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au/...j94ixl-1227111445335
I don’t see where it says that. I think maybe you misread this - “Athletes she was responsible for were told of her death yesterday.” as “she was responsible for her death.”
Look at the caption for the first photo, and the first sentence in bold below that.
Plus every article I’ve seen about it has a tagline something like this (as in the goldcoast bulletin):
READERS SEEKING INFORMATION AND SUPPORT ABOUT SUICIDE PREVENTION CONTACT LIFELINE ON 13 11 14.
.
Wow. Sobering news. Far too young.
Curious that cause of death was not listed.
Accidents and long battles with illness are usually acknowledged.
Most of the time when a cause of death is not listed, it is suicide. As it is in this case… sadly.
My hope is that we can use this thread to celebrate her life and achievements. Being in elite sport or high performance “anything” is very cut throat and high pressure, and she would not be the first to have to carry some baggage away from sporting days through life. In any case, when we leave this world what matters is the legacy on those whose lives we touched by bettering their lives and their opportunities. While our personal achievements are important to us and perhaps a few family members, I think the most important legacy is how she leveraged her life experiences as a competitive athlete to help others realize their dreams.
Wow. Shocking. Thanks for directing me to that. Totally missed that.
My wife knew her well. She said if she had to list three things about:
Jill said she was just such a positive person.
I guess you never know what demons people are fighting…
Very sorry to hear this news.
I was definitely a fan of hers back in the day. A tremendous athlete and person, and a great loss to the community.
I’ve always seen her as a Erin Baker kinda gal. Incredibly tough gal. Not sure if the circumstances, but it’s sad, and it’s really young to go.
My hope is that we can use this thread to celebrate her life and achievements. Being in elite sport or high performance “anything” is very cut throat and high pressure, and she would not be the first to have to carry some baggage away from sporting days through life. In any case, when we leave this world what matters is the legacy on those whose lives we touched by bettering their lives and their opportunities. While our personal achievements are important to us and perhaps a few family members, I think the most important legacy is how she leveraged her life experiences as a competitive athlete to help others realize their dreams.
Agree; We can also be inspired and try even harder to listen and help when possible those around us who are suffering, too often in silence. Easy to say, not so easy to do.
What a sad day.
Her family, her friends and her community will be mourning her passing with very heavy hearts.
Jackie Gallagher. RIP
Very sad indeed. Saw the article (didn’t read it) and pic, and recognized her face, but the name didn’t match so I moved on. Truly a great athlete and gone far too soon.
Jackie’s passing is such a terrible loss. We spent so many hundreds of hours together over the past 20 years. I had the chance to call most of her major wins and her ITU World Championship victory. I always believed she could have been one of the greatest ever Ironman competitors. Jackie’s 2:30+ marathon races (fresh) put her into a league of very few women. Add in her incredible toughness on the bike and her more than adequate swimming speed and you had the legitimate makings of a Chrissy, Miranda or Steffen in Kona. I honestly believed she could have been the first sub 9hr woman so many years ago and was sad she never gave Kona an attempt.
Jackie and I did numerous commentary races together, including the epic World Cup Race in Edmonton in 2004, when a massive hail-storm (during our race announcing) prevented the men from ever starting their race (due to 2 inches of ice-balls and hail on the ground & the men’s race impossible of starting). Its one of the few races in ITU history, where there was a woman’s race, but no men’s race from that venue. I remember Jackie and I standing on the top of a metal grandstand, with microphones in our hands and lightning and hail blowing all around us as the women’s race was finishing up.
In 2001, Jackie, myself and others on the coaching committee brought forward the important recommendation of reducing the junior athletes to a SPRINT DISTANCE and the creation of the new 23 AND UNDER OLYMPIC DISTANCE CATEGORY (to give the college age kids a chance to develop before having to race Gwen, Jodi, Javi & Allistair). That 23 AND UNDER category has become a critical part of ITU’s development of the next generation of athletes.
There were 3 things Jackie and I spoke about on a regular basis.
A) Her passion and love of her archery olympic husband SImon.
B) Her passion for triathlon (in general) and Aussie Triathlon Specific
C) The importance of continuing to give women of all ages & level a chance to compete in every role possible (coach, athlete, president).
On an even more personal memory. When Jackie did not come to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games as an ITU Executive Board Member, her VIP pass was sitting unused. Rather then the very important VIP pass sitting unused for the entire Olympic Games, she allowed my wife to use the pass and get into events we could have never afforded on our own modest budget. Caron and I will never forget the Beijing Olympic Games because of her pass.
One of the most intense conversations I ever had with Jackie, was her description of the heart-break of not making the Olympic Games team for Australia. It was a massive goal, and one of the few things she did not achieve in her great career. She said she knew that she broke her own personal rule of how many weeks to be in an intense training camp she had used for many previous seasons. In the desire to be that much fitter for the Olympic Games Trials, she stayed 3-4 weeks longer than normal, and by the time she got to the trials race, she said she knew she was over-cooked and not able to race to the level she needed to make the team. As always, the honest, woman, accepted she made the mistake and it had cost her a chance to wear her country’s colours.
Jackie was one of the toughest, most honest, caring people I have ever met. Her passing will be a loss to her family, Simon, Triathlon Australia, her ITU family and the entire Australia Sporting Community. Much to young and another reason why we all have to keep supporting athletes and friends who have bouts of depression in their lives.
With great Sadness
Barrie Shepley
Voice of the ITU
and Lover of All Things Triathlon