Charley French

M80+
Charley French
Triathlon
Ketchum, Idaho

Charley French chuckles at the memory of his first triathlon more than 25 years ago. French, who lives in Ketchum, Idaho, figured that his background as a competitive swimmer and cyclist would translate immediately to triathlon success. "I thought I was going to be a natural," he says, laughing. "So I signed up for a triathlon, and was dead last coming out of the water."

But it wasn't long before he was finishing the swim faster, and crossing the finish line first. His first major breakthrough came at the Ironman in Kona, Hawaii, at the age of 60. "A friend of mine kept trying to convince me to go do the Ironman, so I finally went and did that," he says. "I got in on the draw and won my age group. And set a course record."

Now 81, French has made a habit of winning. Last June, he took USA Triathlon's National Championship in the men's 80+ age group in Portland, Ore., and plans to defend his title in September. In Hamburg, Germany, last summer, French won again, establishing himself as a four-time age group world champion. And he's got his eyes set on a fifth this summer in Vancouver, British Columbia. "I've managed to win every one of them so far," he says in hissoft, self-assured manner.

An engineer by trade (he still works 24 hours a week for sports gear manufacturer Scott in Sun Valley), French embraces the Idaho winters by cross country ski racing. In each of the past two years, he has won the cross-country national championships in his age group, highlighting the success of a new wrinkle in his training routine. "About two years ago, I started pumping iron, and I thought 'I hope this doesn't work,' because I've never worked out in a gym in my life," he says. "I hate to go inside."

However, at the 2007 cross-country national championships, French says he was startled by his good form, which he attributes to his weight-training workouts. "I beat guys in the age group below me, guys I've never beaten in my life," he says. "And I beat them by three or four minutes. So, unfortunately, now I've got to keep pumping iron. The payoff is unbelievable."