Board of Directors
The Toronto Triathlon Club Board of Directors are a group of passionate triathletes who volunteer their time to help develop the sport of triathlon in the Greater Toronto Area.
Ben Lawson - Executive, President. I took up triathlon in 2005 and discovered the Toronto Triathlon Club the following winter. The single Sprint triathlon I completed in that first year was a psychological leap into the unknown. I thought I was fit, but had no idea what the race would take out of me! Needless to say I survived and wanted more. In 2006 I took part in five more Sprints and an Olympic-distance race. I built my 2007 season around the Peterborough Half Iron race, but circumstances eventually led me to the starting line for Ironman Western Australia, which was a great experience. As I have delved deeper into triathlon (I now have three Ironman races under my belt) I've found our Club's community to be a great support, helping me find answers to questions and making training more enjoyable. I have been involved in maintaining our website almost since the beginning, now that I'm on the Board I'm happy to be able to give back what I can.
Rhea Hudson - Executive, Vice President. Throughout my life I have always been involved in sports. In 2000 I started running marathons and loved the endurance aspect of it. After several years, I began looking for something new with more variety. Since swimming and biking were always great cross-training activities, it seemed natural to attempt a triathlon. I took a Beginners Triathlon Clinic in the spring of 2007 and participated in my first race (Olympic distance) that fall. I was immediately hooked on the excitement and activity surrounding a race that involved three different sports. I immediately registered for the inaugural Muskoka Half-Ironman in 2008 and then joined the Toronto Triathlon Club. Thankfully, the race went well because I had already registered for the full Ironman in Lake Placid 2009! I have met so many fantastic people in the Club whose experience, advice and knowledge on everything from training and nutrition to the mechanics of a bike were invaluable in making my first Ironman an overwhelmingly positive experience! My goal race this year is Ironman Canada. I am continually learning from our coaches and my fellow club members on how to become a faster, stronger triathlete, while still enjoying the “odd” pint. Being on the Board gives me a chance to spread my enthusiasm and passion for this sport to others. Swim. Bike. Run!
Mike Breech - Executive, Treasurer. Three years ago I grabbed my board shorts, mountain bike and running shoes and participated in my first sprint triathlon. I was hooked right away! What I like most about triathlon is that there are so many different ways to improve your training and racing. I joined the TTC last year and have learned a lot from the many experienced members who have competed in various races around the world. I have also learned a lot about the sport through the great clinics offered by the club. Last summer I completed the Peterborough Half Ironman and would like to compete in a full Ironman someday. This summer my main focus will be improving my biking skills and preparing for the Gravenhurst Olympic-distance race. I hope to see you out at all the TTC events!
Annette Grewall - Director, Social. It’s my half ironman year and I can’t wait! I will be competing in the Peterborough half and one more ( suggestions are welcome). Last season I conquered Muskoka Long course to test the waters out and found that I love the long courses! I’m looking forward to yet another year of pub runs, picnics, beer, wine and of course TRAINING! We have a lot of great events planned for this season so come on out and join us!
Claire Vendramini - Secretary. 
Fiona Birch - Director, Sponsorship.What I like best about triathlon is that regardless of how good you are at one discipline you’re worse at another. It forces you to face your weaknesses, or your strengths won’t matter. Call it Kiwi ingenuity, or no local pool growing up, but swim training was in the harbour with a bucket tied around my waist. My intro to tri’s was as a physiologist but as non-runner I was strictly on the sidelines. When I took it up this year I thought that I could ride a bike – until my first sprint race. I was first out of the water and then overtaken by 90 people! So now, like the rest of you, I’m hooked on improving my times, my body and my mind. I got involved with the Toronto Triathlon Club because it’s an organization that makes an individual sport a team sport.
Jennifer McWilliams – Director, Membership. It all start with a Tri a Try in 2001 which was the same year that I moved to Toronto on my own. I was looking for a sport to fill in some of my free time and I found it. Since then I have competed in various distances ranging all the way from Sprints culminating all the way to Ironman Canada in 2006. Triathlon really is a sport where everyone is so supportive even of the people who take the full 17 hours and a little bit more to finish an Ironman. I have met so many amazing people through the sport that it has kind of taken over my life. I am excited to share my passion for the sport and put out the message if I can do it you can do it too. Currently training for Ironman Lake Placid 2008 - it's time to make the official cut off.
Ted Rosen – Director, Training. Following 30 years of outdoor activities including rock climbing, mountaineering, skiing, canoeing, kayaking and racing sailboats, I returned to marathon running to get back in shape after a temporary fitness lapse. A neighbour suggested it would be fun to do a triathlon, and I thought the cross training benefits would be a real bonus. That was 6 years ago. I bought a road bike, started swimming in a local pool, and entered my first sprint triathlon to see if I could finish. (I did finish - last in my age group) Each year since, has seen an increase in my race distance goals, as I learned more about the sport(s), completing my third ironman (Lake Placid) in 2009 qualifying me for my fourth ironman (Hawaii 2009).I am fascinated by the many aspects of training, and find it a continuous learning process. Managing a training plan, monitoring performance gains, and developing confidence to compete have been very positive.
The Toronto Triathlon Club gave me the opportunity to meet a great group of people, and my triathlon experience has been enhanced by the friendships developed at social, training and racing activities. Seeing other club members achieve their goals and being cheered in races is truly motivating and inspirational.
Michael Bartha– Director, Communications. I started running again about 5 years ago and was really enjoying it. Things were progressing very nicely, the training and racing were going well. I met a lot of great people through running and have developed great life long friendships. I though i new them quite well... what i didn't know was that quite a few were triathletes. We'll I asked questions, got interested in the cross training benefits, learned to swim properly and did my first race 2 years ago. Since then, I've come to appreciate the lifestyle, great spirit, comraderie and support the triathlon community has for all athletes. I've continued to increase the distances and hope to complete my first Ironman in Lake Placid in 2009. I'm looking forward to seeing a lot of TTC athletes at the various races across Southern Ontario this summer.
Judy Quillin - Past President. I have been participating in triathlons since the late 1980's when the sport was young and there were very few races from which to choose. I participated in Ironman Canada in 1993 and after a late 90's break from the sport came back to participate in three more Ironman races (Lake Placid, Arizona and another Canada). I have also concentrated on age group racing in the Subaru Triathlon Series. The sport of triathlon has give me a great lifestyle, super friends and a sense of accomplishment. Now why wouldn't we want to share that with others? After so many years of enjoying the sport it's time to give back and pay it forward! My hope is that the Toronto Triathlon Club will be the kind of club that fosters all the great benefits our sport has to offer.