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May 20, 2005/Iyar 11 5765, Volume 57, No. 38
Triumphant triathlete
BENJAMIN LEATHERMAN
Special to Jewish News
Normally when athletes finish a race in 1,057th place, a triumphant leap into the air is not the first order of business.
But 33-year-old Jewish San Francisco chiropractor Hal Rosenberg did just that - leapt jubilantly skyward - before crossing the finish line at last month's Ironman Arizona triathlon in Tempe, awash in the thrill of victory.
Rosenberg, a native of the Valley, was not only celebrating his completion of the grueling daylong triathlon in less than 14 hours, but was also rejoicing in the fact that he raised more than $5,000 for Phoenix Children's Hospital while doing so.
"Nothing beats crossing the finish line and knowing the training that you've done for the past six months that was focused toward this one day helped everything come together," he said. "It was a great race and it was fun to be out there."
Rosenberg, along with more than 1,000 other competitors, swam 2.4 miles through Tempe Town Lake, before riding his bicycle 112 miles and running 26.2 miles along Valley roads.
He finished the race in 13:41:08, placing 184th in the men's 30-34 year old division, 1,057th overall.
German triathlete Faris Al-Sultan came in first place with a time of 8:25:42.
"When competing in the Ironman, the goal is to finish before the cutoff after 17 hours, when the course closes at midnight," Rosenberg said. "So whether you come in a little over eight hours or just 17 hours, you all share the same experience that you've gone the distance of over 140 miles."
Friends, family and colleagues contributed approximately $4,500 in pledges and donations to Rosenberg's efforts, with the Janus Charity Challenge (JCC), a philanthropic program sponsored by the Denver-based investment management group, chipping in an additional $750.
The JCC, which encourages Ironman athletes around the nation to use the race to raise money for the charities or nonprofit organizations of their choice, also donated upward of $10,000 to the chosen charities of 33 other Ironman Arizona competitors depending on their finish.
Rosenberg, who has participated in Ironman events since 2000, said both the competitive spirit and a desire to continue his family's tradition of supporting the Phoenix Children's Hospital drove him.
His grandfather, retired banker Allen L. Rosenberg, was president of the 12-member board of directors that founded the hospital in 1980, in addition to serving as a trustee to myriad local nonprofit agencies, including the Valley of the Sun Kiwanis Club, Ballet Arizona and the Phoenix Symphony.
Allen Rosenberg passed away in July 2001. The hospital's Rosenberg Children's Medical Plaza was posthumously named in his honor in 2003. Hal Rosenberg's parents and cousins still live in the Valley.
Rosenberg said his grandfather was definitely with him in spirit during the race.
"Growing up in the Phoenix area, I played in plenty of soccer, baseball, and football leagues, and he was always very encouraging of me and always came out to watch me compete whenever he could," Rosenberg said. "I know he was there with me on that day and he would have been out there cheering me on with everyone else if he was still with us."
Christine Appleton, PCH spokeswoman, said she's "thrilled" at Rosenberg's fund-raising efforts, as it maintains his family's legacy of support for the facility.
"It's great that he's continuing the Rosenberg generosity, since they have been a guiding force behind the quality care we've been able to provide to families of the Valley," Appleton said. "Training for the Ironman competition is a big enough challenge on its own, but the fact that Hal took on the obstacle of fund-raising is great as well."
Benjamin Leatherman is a freelance writer in Tempe.
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