Alistair Brownlee joins PTO Board of Directors

Four new additions to the Professional Triathletes Organisation Board

Going to need a bigger boardroom? The flow of news from the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) continues, with the confirmation of four new athletes to the PTO Board of Directors, one of those being Great Britain’s Alistair Brownlee.

That brings, as far as I can make out, the athlete representation on the Board total to 11 – with Rachel Joyce, Tim O’Donnell, Mirinda Carfrae, Dylan McNiece, Sarah Piampiano-Lord, Scott DeFilippis and Meredith Kessler already in place.

The news might also give (another) indication into the longer-term plans for Alistair, who perhaps may be sowing the seeds for a post-racing, long term future in sports administration / leadership or similar, having recently also been nominated as a candidate for the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Athletes’ Commission. That election will take place during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, where 30 athletes are contending for the four available positions. Alistair is also on the Athlete Advisory Committee for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games 2022

To catch up on recent PTO news stories, check out these links:

• The Collins Cup: who might be in the teams (and who gets what money…)?
• That Collins Cup money… where did it come from
• The Collins Cup confirmed for 2020 – with a $2 MILLION prize purse
• PTO appoints Challenge Family CEO Zibi Szlufcik to Board of Directors
• IRONMAN says “No” to PTO’s acquisition approach
• Professional Triathletes Organisation seeks to acquire IRONMAN

The formal announcement of the new board members is provided below.

PROFESSIONAL TRIATHLETES ORGANISATION ANNOUNCES ALISTAIR BROWNLEE, PAULA FINDLAY, LIONEL SANDERS AND SKYE MOENCH AS NEW PTO BOARD MEMBERS

The Professional Triathletes Organisation today announced that Alistair Brownlee, Paula Findlay, Lionel Sanders and Skye Moench have joined the PTO Board of Directors. Tim O’Donnell, Co-President of the PTO, commented, “It is an exciting time for our sport and great news that athletes like Alistair, Paula, Skye and Lionel, with their wealth of experiences, have agreed to volunteer their time to the mission of the PTO to help the sport of triathlon grow and thrive.”

Two-time Olympic gold medal winner, Alistair Brownlee, stated that, “I am very pleased to be joining the PTO Board and am grateful for all the work done by the existing board members in establishing the organisation. I look forward to contributing to the vision of the PTO as we seek to support and work with all the stakeholders in the triathlon community.”

Paula Findlay commented, “It is an honour to be able to serve as a PTO Board Member, as professionals begin to contribute our collective voice to the sport. While we are only just beginning, there are so many wonderful opportunities to explore.”

Findlay’s Canadian compatriot, Lionel Sanders stated, “Really excited about serving on the PTO Board. It is fantastic to have an organisation of our own so that as a group we can support the sport. Triathlon has enriched my life in so many ways, and I know it can do the same for others. I believe the professional side still has a lot of room to grow and have a larger impact on the world. I am excited to work with the other members of the PTO Board on making this a reality.”

Former age-grouper, and now PTO World No. 10, Skye Moench, commented, “Very grateful for the opportunity to serve on the PTO Board. Part of the beauty of our sport is that there is a path from age-grouper to professional, and now with the PTO, there is an opportunity to join forces and serve with athletes who have incredible experience in the sport, including a two-time Olympic gold medallist. There is no sport like our’s, and I look forward to preserving and growing this legacy with my fellow PTO members.”

About Alistair Brownlee

Alistair Brownlee is one of the greatest triathletes of all time. He is a double Olympic Triathlon Champion (winning at his home Olympics in London in 2012) as well as a multiple World, European and Commonwealth Triathlon Champion. He set up The Brownlee Foundation in 2014 with his brother Jonny, which has introduced over 30,000 children to the sport of triathlon to date. Alistair studied Medicine at Cambridge University for a term before deciding to concentrate on his triathlon career and received a 2.1 in Sports Science and Physiology from the University of Leeds and an MSc in Finance with a special interest in Financial Economics from Leeds Metropolitan University. He has been nominated by Team GB to stand for election for the IOC Athletes’ Commission.

About Paula Findlay

Canadian Paula Findlay competed in her first triathlon in 2006 and qualified for the first Junior World Triathlon Team the same year. Paula went on to see great success in ITU racing, winning five ITU World Championship Series races over two seasons between 2010 and 2011. She also competed in the 2012 Olympic Games in London. 2017 saw Paula move up to long course racing and in the short period she has been racing over a longer distance, she has firmly established herself in the PTO World Rankings. Paula won Challenge Daytona in 2019.

About Lionel Sanders

Canadian Lionel Sanders’ journey has taken him anywhere but a straight road. As a child, Lionel loved running and playing basketball, with the former becoming more of a focus as his school career progressed to see some very respectable results in high school level cross-country and steeplechase races. However, Lionel dropped out of university battling drink and drug addiction with 2009 marking a significant turning point when Lionel returned to running. In 2010, he completed his first Ironman and from that point onwards has progressed to see career highlights such as a second place finish at the Ironman World Championships in 2017 and is currently ranked PTO World No 4. In addition to his success on the racecourse, Lionel has a popular YouTube channel where he documents his training, racing and journey in triathlon.

About Skye Moench

Canadian-born, but now calling the USA home, Skye Moench became a full-time professional triathlete in 2016, having quit her day job as a tax accountant. Skye’s long course breakthrough came in 2019 with a win at the Ironman European Championship in Frankfurt after a series of 70.3 podium finishes. Skye was on the start list for Kona 2019; however, a bike crash in training left her in hospital and unable to race. Skye is looking for a return to form and a great season in 2020.

About The Professional Triathletes Organisation

The Professional Triathletes Organisation is a not-for-profit entity representing the body of professional triathletes. The PTO seeks to showcase the passion, talents, determination, struggles and achievements of the dedicated professionals who strive to realise the highest levels of the sport and inspire all those who are a part of the triathlon community. The PTO’s flagship event, The Collins Cup, will be held on May 29–30th, 2020 at Samorin, Slovakia.