






The Popes' Palace, Avignon (1990).
Triathletes outside the Palace.
Delegates meet inside the Palace.
Delegates meet inside the Palace.
Streets of Avignon, 1990
The Olympic flag on the Popes' Palace, 1990.
Two Soviet friends I met in Avignon. Thanks to them I travelled to Zelenogorsk the following year.
SHY GIANTS is a web site devoted to the lost women of Ironman: the women whose efforts in founding the sport of triathlon, and the phenomenon of Ironman ultra-distance triathlons, have too often been overlooked. The site was conceived and designed by Lynn Van Dove.
The site will consists of several episodes telling the story of Ironman's "Aloha Years", between 1978 and 1990, when Ironman was “more than just a race”. The site will tell the story from Hawaii to Canada to Japan and beyond, but with particular focus on Ironman Canada. Each episode will feature video, photos, text and documents. The aim is to create a record of the organizational and inspirational contributions of a number of key women in the creation and development of ultra-distance triathlon.
The lost women of Ironman infused their races with creative resourcefulness, meticulous attention to detail and tireless concern and respect for every athlete. These women were shy giants but giants nonetheless.