Redondo Beach Triathlon organizer Rick Crump was honored with the Mayor’s Lifetime Achievement Award during the 2019 State of the City for his work in organizing the RB Tri, which he has done since 2006.
“He’s stalwart, salt of the earth, and a cornerstone of our community,” Mayor Bill Brand said of Crump. “It’s very rewarding to be able to honor someone who works so hard for our community.”
Crump said he was handed the reins to the triathlon by previous director DeDe Moore after winning the race in 2005.
“I’m not one to do anything for awards; me and my wife, we’re teachers and we do things out of the love of doing something,” Crump said. “My ultimate goal is to get people into the sport without it costing them an arm and a leg.”
The bad news is that the race is on hold this year, according to Crump, though it’s scheduled to return in 2020.
The good news, however, is that Crump will continue to help organize the city’s second annual open water swimming event, which Brand believes may bring the 2028 Olympics to Redondo Beach as a venue for the marathon swim event.
The 2019 “Swim the Avenues” one-mile Open Water Swim will take place on July 14. ER
