Name: Rosie Thompson
Years in Triathlon: 2
Employment: Biological consultant for past 37 years and not planning to retire just yet.
Family Life: Married for 42 years to John, who is retired now; one daughter, Shawn, who is a certified veterinary technician in Colorado.
My Hero: Don’t really have a hero, but I certainly look up to and admire many athletes who can do things I would not dream of doing.
Athletic Background: Grew up with 4 younger brothers and tried to stay ahead of them, until they got bigger than me. Our small high school did not have sports for women (prior to Title IX) so I just rode my bike and took up bowling (we had a 4-lane alley in town). In college I played field hockey, competed in a variety of intramural sports, and did water ballet. In grad school at Scripps Institution of Oceanography I took up SCUBA diving and did a lot of body surfing. Then in Santa Barbara, I played City league volleyball, basketball, softball (slow pitch), and soccer until a torn ligament in my knee put a stop to that. Next, I took up long distance cycling (numerous centuries and week-long bike tours, primarily in the Rock Mountains) that culminated in completion of a double century. Finally, I signed up for the Carpinteria sprint triathlon in 2007 with minimal training, had a blast, and was hooked!
Favorite Race and Why: I love the local races in SB and Carpinteria, but I think my favorite race so far was Vineman ½ Aqua Bike. The course is beautiful, the race was well organized, and I was able to push myself to near my limits on the bike for 1st place in my age group.
Worst Race and Why: Can’t say I have had any really bad races -- yet (one will surely come along sometime).
This Year’s Goals: This year is over, so next year I hope to improve my speed, compete in several triathlons (some in new locations), and do a week-long bike tour in a part of the country (or world) I have not seen. I am contemplating doing a ½ ironman, but that may be just a pipe dream.
In 5 Years I Hope to: Still be able to compete in triathlons and have fun doing it.
Something Most People Don’t Know About Me: I like to cook, sew, and knit (when I have time) as well as paint houses, garden, and build things out of wood. I also like to know how mechanical things work.