I just want to send Bob Babbitt a public thank you. Not for any one specific thing (even though I could name several) but for all of the cool things he does. Bob has helped myself, my club, challenged athletes, and our sport in ways too numerous to mention. He is a tireless ambassador for triathlon. I don’t know what Bob gets out of this, since he’s never asked for anything in return, but I hope his kindness is repaid to him 1000 times.
Gary McMurtrey
Inland Inferno Tri Club
PS. From today on I will be claiming to be Bob Babbitt’s illegitimate son.
I’ve been reading Bob’s stuff for over half my life. His writing and publishing has done an amazing job of promoting our sport. He even says “hi” to me when he has no idea who the heck I am.
Indeed, Bob is one of the real characters and contributors to the sport of triathlon. I have had the privilidge of knowing Bob for many years.
Perhaps the most fun on a “run” that I ever had was a few years ago when I played a round of speed-golf in a foursome with Bob, Roch Frey and Paul Huddle.This was my first and only attemp at this hybrid of golf and fartlek running - Bob, Roch and Huddle are total keeners. We started out in the dark at some insanely early hour and hacked, ran and laughed our way through 27 holes of a par three course near San Diego in about 90 minutes. For the first few holes we kept loosing our balls in the dark. I lost track of my “score” after that. It was a great start to the day and it always brings a smile to my face when I think of that crazy experience.
I can’t believe the level of Bob’s involvement in the sport. He does all the stuff that you mentioned plus he competes in a race nearly every weekend. Everything from local tris with 100 participants to the Rock ‘n Roll Marathon dressed as Elvis. He’s one of the few journalists that actively participate in the sport and still publish, support, and make appearances. He’s gotta have clones; there’s no way he’s doin’ it all by himself.