Macherowski Captures St. Croix Ironman 70.3 CEO Challenge: Competitor First Among CEOs After Helping Crash Victim On Course

A. Shayne Macherowski captured the St. Croix Ironman 70.3 CEO Challenge competition on May 4 in a winning time of 5:15:51. During the competition, he actually jumped off his bike to assist a motorcyclist who had flipped off the road.

Boulder, CO (PRWEB) May 17, 2008 -- A. Shayne Macherowski captured the St. Croix Ironman 70.3 CEO Challenge competition on May 4 in a winning time of 5:15:51. Macherowski topped second-place overall finisher Kim Nelson of Toronto, who also earned top spot for female finishers, by 15 minutes. Nelson finished in 5:30:13. This event is one of the top triathlons worldwide, known for a brutal hill called "The Beast" on the bike portion of the course.

By capturing the top spot for the CEO Challenge in St. Croix, Macherowski qualifies for the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona on Oct. 11. It was the first time Macherowski, owner of Steamboat Springs, Colo.-based Evergreen L.A.N.D., had competed in a CEO Challenge event. He bested a field of 16 CEO competitors.

While Macherowski nabbed first place, the victory did not come without some adrenalin-producing drama. As he reached the 40-mile mark in the bike portion of the competition, he heard a race marshal barreling from behind him on a motorcycle. After almost being hit by the motorcyclist, Macherowski watched as the motorcyclist skidded off the road on a curve at a very high speed, flipping down an embankment. Relatively alone on the course, he said at first it did not register what happened or what he should do.

"At first, I was in complete head-down race mode. I was kind of mad that the guy had almost hit me," he said. "Then it clicked that I needed to do something fast. All of this happened in about two seconds. I jumped off my bike went down to the rider, rolled him over and tried to make him comfortable. He was barely conscious. I called to some other cyclists, who came down to help. I then ran down to some nearby homes, banged on some doors until someone finally came out. They called 911 and came up to the motorcyclist, who was now starting to come around.

"I told him he'd been in a bad accident, he needed to stay still and that help was on the way. At that point, I wasn't needed so I got on my bike and jumped back in the race."

Ted Kennedy, owner of CEO Challenges, said this was a first for CEO Challenges' competitors. "I was at the finish line waiting to see who would win the CEO Challenge. Shayne came in first and immediately headed in to the medical tent to get hydrated. As I welcomed other CEO finishers, I started to hear from them what had happened. I couldn't believe it. It's an incredible story -- he stopped to help an injured motorcycle rider and still won the CEO Challenge!"

Behind Macherowski in first and Nelson, CEO of Royal Containers, in second, Mike Ochstein, founder of Texas-based Price Realty Corporation, finished the CEO Challenge third in a time of 5:39:24.

Next up for CEO Challenges is Ironman France in June, Ford Ironman USA Lake Placid in July, and Subaru Ironman Canada in August. Spots are filling up, but a handful remain on a first-come, first-serve basis for all events.

About CEO Challenges (www.ceochallenges.com)
CEO Challenges is the world leader in sport competitions designed specifically for CEOs. The firm's goal is to find the world's best CEO in several sports. Founded in 2001 with the CEO Ironman Challenge, CEO Challenge has expanded to include CEO Triathlon, Golf, Cycling, Marathon, Fly Fishing, Sailing and Tennis Challenges in settings worldwide.

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