Jeannie

Samson
crossing the
finish line at
the Danskin
Women’s
Triathlon in
2006.

Photo by Glennon Simmons

Phyllis Mann In April 2005, she attended a triath-

On June 10th, Phyllis Mann became
the oldest athlete to ever compete
in the Danskin Women’s Triathlon.
Mann first signed up for the triathlon
when she was 74 with her daughter,
Tracy Erickson, an Austin resident.
The Danskin Women’s Triathlon usu-
ally attracts 3,000 athletes of all ages.
We hope to catch-up with both Mann
and Erickson at next year’s Danskin
Triathlon to find out how it was the
second time around.
Jeannie Samson
Jeannie Samson, Austin triathlete
and mother of four, started training
for triathlons when she was a junior in
college at Virginia Tech. According to
Samson, her first race was the Colum-
bia Triathlon, and after that she was
hooked. Samson was frequently in the
top five of her age group when first
competing in triathlons.
lon clinic called the Science of Speed,
where she met world champion triath-
lete and coach, Siri Lindley. Lindley
has been her coach ever since then.
Since 2005, Samson has won five
triathlons, including the Danskin
Women’s Triathlon, and was part of
Team USA in 2006. Samson also came
in 1st place in the women’s category
and 3rd place overall at the Corpus
Christi Triathlon on April 29th.
As Samson considers the sport of
triathlon a passion, she says, “Through
my journey to be the very best I can
be, I hope to inspire others, and show
that it is possible to have kids, run a
household, and pursue things that you
are committed to as an individual.”
After competing in eight triathlons
so far this year, it’s clear Samson has
found a way to do all of the above. She
will be racing in the ITU Age Group
World Championship in Hamburg,
Germany on September 1st.

July 2007 austinwoman  15