ROCKFORD, IL — Long before the first swimmer jumped into the Rock River the morning of June 14, hundreds of volunteers were on the ground to make sure IRONMAN 70.3 Rockford went off without a hitch.
Many of them are from the Rockford area. They volunteer for a variety of reasons, from wanting to chip in to help their community to getting a chance to see the race unfold up close.
Chris Tomlinson of Rockford was planning on putting in a full day’s work June 14, arriving at 7:30 a.m. to help manage a transition area before moving to bike checkout, where he was scheduled to stay until 5:30 p.m.
“We get food, plenty of water, sunscreen, anything you may need, they’ll have it here for you,” Tomlinson said.
He was already looking forward to next year.
Dwayne Bronk, an avid cyclist from Rockford, marked his second year as an IRONMAN volunteer.
“I just really enjoy being around athletes,” Bronk said. “The staff has been top-notch. The communication is beautiful. … IRONMAN is great nationwide, the way they’ve got everything laid out. Very professional.”
Bronk described volunteering as a way to be part of the race community. And while he enoys cycling, he said he’s probably going to stay on the volunteer side of things.
“After seeing this the past couple years, the training is too rigorous,” he said with a laugh.
Lyla Koopmann of Rockford volunteered alongside her mom, Laura.
“We thought it would be good to volunteer in our community,” Koopmann said. “We thought it would be fun to see everyone come through.”
Volunteers receive a warm welcome, Koopmann said.
“I have been treated with nothing but niceness and kindness,” she said. “Everyone has been so incredibly nice.”
Watching the athletes take on the race made the day worthwhile.
“I like seeing all the bikers go out and seeing all their hard work,” Koopmann said.
More than 1,200 people volunteered at this year’s race.
Jack Ivanic is a freelance contributor to the Rockford Register Star.
This article originally appeared on Rockford Register Star: Volunteers keep IRONMAN 70.3 Rockford running smoothly
Reporting by Jack Ivanic, Special to the Rockford Register Star / Rockford Register Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jack Ivanic, Special to the Rockford Register Star | USA TODAY Network
