By MARK HEENAN
TRIPLE Olympian, Geelong-raised marathon runner Lee Troop has been appointed Ocean Grove Surf Life Saving Club’s Rip to River Classic ambassador this summer.
The 43-year-old – who competed at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the 2004 Athens Games and the 2008 Beijing Olympics – was approved as an ambassador at a recent Ocean Grove SLSC board meeting.
The 37th Rip to River Classic will take place on New Year’s Eve morning, Saturday 31 December.
Troop, a two-time Commonwealth Games athlete and multiple national champion, is based in the US as a high performance running coach at the Boulder Track Club in Colorado.
Troop said he was delighted to be part of Ocean Grove’s biggest annual sporting event.
Last summer’s event attracted up to 1100 competitors across the 10km run, 10km walk, 5km run and 1.4km Ripper Nipper event race categories.
“I am living in the USA and get back to Oz (Australia) one-to-two times a year,” Troop said.
“I am delighted to be an ambassador for (the) event.”
Ocean Grove SLSC president Steve Peatling said it was a terrific outcome with Troop to help promote the club’s major fund-raiser.
“We are really excited to have someone of the calibre of Lee Troop as our ambassador for the Rip to River Classic,” Peatling told the Voice.
He confirmed Troop’s connection to the wider Geelong community and successful marathon running background fitted the ambassador selection criteria.
“Lee having grown up in Geelong has always shown a real commitment to his local community and as such has developed a real connection with the locals throughout the Bellarine region and beyond,” Peatling said.
“As a three-time Olympic marathon representative and national champion, I couldn’t think of a better person to have in the role as our ambassador.
“We greatly look forward to having Lee with us for this year’s Rip to River Classic.”
Troop was the face at one of Australia’s biggest running festivals with his ambassador role at the 2014 Gold Coast Airport Marathon, an event he won 10 years ago in 2006.
The Troop Loop named in his honour remains a popular running circuit along the Barwon River in Geelong.
In other news, Ocean Grove SLSC’s annual general meeting will take place this Sunday 24 July, at 2.30pm, in the club lounge.
President Steve Peatling confirmed he will step down from his current role, but has nominated as vice-president.
Meanwhile, Ocean Grove SLSC has detailed plans to host its first ever open water swim called The Ocean Swim Challenge.
The challenge will take place on Sunday 29 January, three days after Australia Day.
