Courting triathletes from college football rival states Ohio and Michigan, Team Toledo currently has more than 300 members. We had a chance to chat with their president Khalil Raffoul.
ST: How old and how large is the Team Toledo?
Khalil: Team Toledo was founded in 1985. We have over 311 members by last count, with over 1/3 of them being female. Some of our members have over 25 years of experience in the sport of triathlon while a significant number have picked up the sport in the last couple of years. Jim and Joyce Donaldson two of the original founding members have been active in triathlon since its original years. They have held key positions nationally and internationally serving on the USAT and Mid-East Region Boards and being part of the international delegation of officials previewing the Olympic triathlon course in Beijing, China.
ST: Is Team Toledo considered a racing team?
Khalil: Team Toledo participates in the USAT Mid-East Regional Championship Series. We are very proud to have won the series in 2007 and have finished in the top 3 the previous 2 years. The series is always very competitive with strong teams from Fort Wayne (IN), Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo (MI), Chicago (IL), and several others vying for the coveted trophy and monetary prize ($1200 to the top team this past year). We offer incentives for those who participate in the series which help defray some of the travel expenses. We are planning on participating in the USAT Winter Club Challenge. Club members have competed at Nationals, Worlds, Best of the US and other prestigious races. One of our club members, David McGranahan was World Champion Above the Knee amputee.
ST: Which races is Team Toledo involved with?
Khalil; The club is active in promoting and supporting many races in the Northwest Ohio and Southeast Michigan area. We are the host club for the Sylvania Triathlon, one of the oldest Olympic Distance races around that is now also offering a sprint distance. The race is 27 years old and one of our members has participated and finished every one of those races, a remarkable achievement. We have supported and volunteered at several races including a Women Only Triathlon and a Kids Triathlon directed by Elite Endeavors and a Racing for Recovery Half-Ironman.
ST: In addition to racing what are some of the activities offered to team members?
Khalil: The Club has always been very active in the community. We volunteer at numerous local events such as the Special Olympics. For over twenty years we have been the time keepers at this uplifting event and make sure the track competitions go off smoothly. We volunteer at other events such as the Glass-City Marathon, Taste of the Town Toledo, the Adopt-a-Street program, and Relay for Life benefiting cancer research.
More specifically in terms of triathlon, we have hosted a number of clinics and seminars with renowned speakers such as Dave Scott, Olympic Gold-Medalist Sheila Taormina, Doug Stern, Terry Laughlin, Troy Jacobsen and others.
ST: What do you do to encourage new members to join?
Khalil: In addition to everything mentioned above, we have a schedule of open water swims, coached track workouts, and cycling time-trials. The open water swims held at the Sylvania Triathlon swim course are a huge draw with as many as 60-70 people swimming the 1500 meter course once or twice around. Newbies may elect to swim a shorter distance. Of course we hire lifeguards for these swims. Our annual Winter Expo is open to the public and gives our sponsors and supporters an opportunity to display their products and services to current club members and prospective members. Tom Demerly of Bikesport has been generously offering bike-fitting for our members at this event which continues to grow. We have a grant fund that is budgeted for annually to help talented members go to the next level competitively. Members have utilized this fund to help finance their trips to Kona and World Championships as well as to purchase a racing bike that otherwise they could not afford. With the help of our sponsors we have been able to offer racing uniforms, jerseys and other fantastic gear at discounted pricing.
ST: Is there anything that you would say makes the Team Toledo unique?
Khalil: The club offers something for every level of athlete. We hail a number of multiple Ironman-distance finishers and newbies are joining the club every day. The variety of activities keeps everyone interested. The camaraderie and support that club members offer one another is superb and cannot be overstated. My wife and I moved to Toledo in 1996 not knowing anyone and now we can boast a number of friendships from within the club with people of all ages and all walks of life. The annual club picnic planned by the president-elect with food paid for by the club is a wonderful family event. Our annual Kona party and chili cook-off held the day of the NBC Kona Ironman telecast is another fun event.
ST: How old is the oldest and how old is the youngest member?
The age range is from 11 to 92. We offer junior membership at $15/year and adult membership at $25/year.
ST: How far away from your home base might we encounter Team Toledo members?
Khalil: Our core membership of course is from Ohio and Michigan (which makes for interesting e-mail exchanges during the Michigan – Ohio State rivalry week!) but you will see Team Toledo members racing throughout the U.S. and overseas. Just look for the red Team Toledo t-shirt given complimentary to each member.
ST: Anything else we should know about Team Toledo?
Khalil: I have been honored to serve as president of the club this past year. I must give credit however to the rest of our Board members for their dedication and hard work. We have had a number of people serve on our Board over the years and each one has made a significant contribution in terms of ideas and volunteered time to make the club progress. As Board members we are continually challenging ourselves to make the club grow and prosper.
The team website is www.teamtoledo.com
