This week on Babbittville….Ironman Champions at Boston!

Lionel Sanders and Mom Becky
 

After knowing so much about Lionel and his background, we got to meet his incredible mom Becky today, who is running the Boston Marathon on Monday, her 5th Boston. It was great to hear Lionel’s story from her perspective. We learned that Becky is quite an athlete herself, an accomplished triathlete, who has finished Ironman Mt Tremblant, and will be racing at the 70.3 Worlds in Chattanooga, along with Lionel. Becky’s ultimate goal? The Ironman World Championships in Hawaii. Lionel told us he is waiting to swim to the coffee boat until his mom qualifies for Kona, and they can swim out together! Before then, Lionel, who qualified in Kona, and his mom, who has a PR of 3:30, will get to enjoy running the Boston Marathon together....watch now

Lisa Bentley

Lisa Bentley is in the Canadian Triathlon Hall of Fame, has 11 Ironman titles, and in 2006 was third at the Ironman World Championship. We chatted with Lisa about why she loves Kona so much, and why those races mean the most to her. Lisa was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis when she was 20, and she talked with us about the impact of being a professional athlete with cystic fibrosis. Imagine racing with your lungs at 50% capacity!  Lisa is running the Boston Marathon and chatted about how much she loves it. Her first time running it in 2011, she went 2:58, which was her Ironman marathon time, and 2:47 is her fastest time in Boston. This will be her first marathon since Achilles surgery in 2015, and Lisa told us she will draw on the energy from the athletes she coaches as she runs...watch now

 Dick Hoyt
 

Dick Hoyt embodies the spirit of a parent doing anything for their child. He and his son Rick have become iconic figures, racing together, with dad pushing Rick in his chair, through some of the most brutal endurance events around.  Yet while there may be a statue of them in Hopkinton now, it wasn’t always so easy for Dick and Rick to be accepted as athletes. But Dick and Rick are not two ordinary people, and the lives they have changed are unmeasurable! Dick chatted with us about his experiences racing with Rick in Boston, and at the Ironman triathlon in Hawaii.​...watch now
 

Mary Beth Ellis

Mary Beth Ellis, the 2015 ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Champion joined us for a chat. Mary Beth explained how she got the nickname, the Honey Badger from her Coach Brett Sutton. She talked about what she learned from training with greats like Chrissie, Rinny, Daniela, and Nicola. Now retired from racing as a professional, Mary Beth is coaching, and chatted about how much she is enjoying working with age-group triathletes. We also talked about Mary Beth’s running background (she ran at Northwestern), and how over the years, she has learned the value of cross-training....watch now
 

Chris Legh

Chris Legh won over 100 triathlons in his career, including 40 half ironman wins, 6 Australian national titles, and 2 full Ironman titles. But Chris may best be known for his famous finish line collapse at the Ironman in Hawaii in 1996. Chris shared his memories of and the impact of that unforgettable Ironman finish in 1996, along with some of his favorite memories of racing in Kona, including my favorite story of “Chicken Soup and a Glow Stick.” Chris ran 2:34 at the New York City Marathon in November 2016, and is looking forward to an awesome day running the Boston Marathon!...watch now