Crazed otter attacks triathlete while training in lake

An Ironwoman swimmer is recovering after being attacked by an otter while she swam in Minnesota's Island Lake last week.  The crazed mammal left the woman with 25 bite marks on her legs, feet thighs and back while training for the Duluth triathlon.

Leah Prudhomme said she was prepared for beavers and muskrats— but not the normally peaceful otter.

"It just kept coming at me ," the 33-year old woman said.  "You never knew where it was going to bite next."

Prudhomme was training for the upcoming triathlon— in the lake near Duluth— with a friend when the pissed-off otter started ripping through her wetsuit.

Her father drove his boat out to rescue his daughter and rushed her to a hospital where she was given tetanus and rabies shots.  The otter wasn't rabid, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources said.  It was probably a mother protecting her cubs.

Prudhomme won't let a couple of dozen animal bites keep her from participating in the Duluth Triathlon even thought the swimming portion is in Island Lake.

"It's not like I'll be bitten by another otter," she reasoned.

But what about the beavers and muskrats?

Swimmer Dies During New York City Triathlon

Thousands of athletes participated in the 11th annual Nautica New York City Triathlon on Sunday.  The event included a 1500 meter swim in the Hudson River, a 40K bike race up the Henry Hudson River and finishes with a 10K run through Central Park.

This year's winner in the men's division was American Ben Collins who clocked in with a 1:48:11 time.  Fellow American and three-peat winner in the women's division was Rebeccah Wassner.  She crossed the finish line in 2:03:19.

Sadly, this year's event was marred by the death of a 64 year-old man who apparently had a cardiac arrest while finishing the swim portion of the race.  A 40 year-old woman was in critical condition after experiencing difficulty while in the river as well.

 Race director, Bill Burke said in a statement," On behalf of all of us in the triathlon community, our thoughts and prayers are with the athletes and their loved ones."

A swimmer died during the swim stage of the New York City triathlon three summers ago.

 Over 3,000 athletes, from 43 states and 26 countries, took the plunge into the Hudson from a 100th Street platform on the rainy, humid morning.  The dive in to the murky Hudson was almost an obstacle even before one person dove in.

The Department of Environmental Protection labelled the river uninhabitable until only last week, after a sewerage-treatment plant explosion-- 20 blocks up-stream-- three weeks ago, spewed waste into the river for a couple of days.  The water was rated safe by DEP standards a few days ago.

The dreary morning did nothing to discourage the eager participants and even a 40-minute delay, due to a car crash on the event's bike lane, couldn't break the spirits of this mix of pro and amateur athletes.

A nasty bike spill on the slippery highway and about a dozen runners treated for dehydration and exhaustion were the only other reported injuries.  The organizers line the event route with medical staff, tents and re-hydration station.  Nobody said a triathlon was a dip in the water, a bike in the park or a light jog--well, relatively speaking.

The Nautica Triathlon is the only olympic-distance triathlon in New York City.  It includes world-class professionals, ParaTriathletes (physically-challenged) and age-group participants (18-77).

Visually-impaired Aaron Scheidies was the top paratriathlete.  He completed the event with the aid of a "handler" in 3:09:33.

Tens of thousands of New Yorkers get up at dawn to cheer on the athletes along the river banks, on the sidewalks of the otherwise deserted streets and the tree-lined Central park roadways.  It's become an annual weekend-long city tradition for many and raises millions of dollars for various charities.

3,000 People Take Plunge Into Hudson River

Article and photos by Tony Mangia

THE 2010 NAUTICA NYC TRIATHLON
It's a Sunday morning at 99th Street alongside the Hudson River and with the sun barely peaking over the skyline, over 3,000 colorful, rubber-capped athletes line the riverbank and get ready to take a plunge. The temperature is already over 80 degrees, so a dive into the murky water will be more of a welcome relief than a shock to the system.

Welcome to the start of the 2010 Nautica NYC Triathlon—the only Olympic-distance triathlon event in New York. Won this year by Filip Ospaly of the Czech Republic—the field included participants from 44 states and 23 countries. People from all walks of life including men and women pros, first-timers and a record number (over 70) of para-triathletes competing in conjunction with the Accenture USA Para-Triathlon National Championship.

YOU WOULDN'T KNOW THEIR FACES

In a world of entitled and wealthy sports "heros", triathletes are an anomaly. The $30,000 in prize money is called chump change in the NFL and NBA and it is basically pro-sports minimum wage considering all the hours a triathlete puts into training.

Today everyone will be challenged by the heat, humidity and soupy air of Manhattan. The thousands of enthusiastic supporters and rubber-neckers lining the Hudson, West Side Highway, city streets and paths of Central Park will push the athletes past limits some couldn't imagine. The heat will fell a dozen runners and one London man will end up in critical condition at New York Presbyterian. In 2008, Esteban Neira was pulled dead from the Hudson. "It's a tough day," said Race Director, Bill Burke, "its a pretty low considering what we expected." This is no leisurely jog around the park.

REAL CHALLENGES

Such are the challenges of any athlete—especially these. There is a "Psych Station" at the starting tent, manned by psychologists who offer consultation for the jittery beginners and the occasional seasoned pro. Some competitors must overcome more adversity. There are inspiring stories all along the riverbank. War veterans missing limbs and people overcoming a multitude of traumatic emotional and physical set backs. This year's women's division winner---repeat champion—Rebeccah Wassner, was followed two minutes later, into second place, by her twin sister, Laurel. Laurel is a cancer survivor. "One-arm Willie" Stewert was one of 12 National Champions crowned in the Challenged Division. This race is the only qualifying event for the ParaTriathlon World Championships. To qualify, competitors must finish in less than 4 hours.

TRUE GRIT

I met one 33 year-old man, Rajesh Durbal, from Orlando. He started participating in the combination 1.5K swim, 40K biking, and 10K run thirteen months ago. His best time is 3 hours and 5 minutes. Raj does this despite missing both legs from the knees down and part of his right arm at the elbow.

I first see Raj near the starting dock, relaxing, sitting under a tree with his prosthetic legs splayed wide. His smile is almost as bright as his spirit. He tells me, simply enough, he started this as a "challenge." Is that an understatement? He also mentions he is getting ready for the Ironman in Hawaii on October 9th. A man of few words and many goals.

Rajesh's "handler" stands by the triathlete. He is an intricate part of Raj's day—as are other handlers for the many challenged athletes. He will carry the athlete on his shoulders from the swimming exit dock to the bike rack and, later, meet him to give him his running legs. These are the same type of carbon-filled prosthetics made famous by the South African sprinter, Oscar Pistorius, in 2008. The Cheetah Flex Foot, as they are called, make Rajesh stand about 6'6", although he needs no accessories to stand tall.

At the finish line, runners in all dimensions roll in. Some stagger while some speed up. Rajesh appears to welcoming cheers as he bounces through a finish-line ribbon. The 90-plus temperatures and steaming pavement haven't crushed him—physically or spiritually. "Did I break three hours?" are his first words. He's finished in the top-half of the field—an amazing feat of athletic ability.

I only met Rajesh Durbal briefly. There are a lot more questions I would have liked to ask, but it was his moment. He did tell me the hardest part of the day was the biking. Well it was only 40K, my man—and, oh yeah, you did break three hours. Best of luck in Hawaii.