
Boulder resident Joanna Sue Zeiger, a 2000 Olympian and 2008 World Champion in triathlon and Ph.D. in genetic epidemiology, was inducted with eight other sports figures on April 29, 2012 into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame located at the Suffolk Y Jewish Community Center in Commack, New York. In addition to racing, Joanna uses her athletic experience as coach and mentor to triathletes and runners, and her research skills, to study the relationship of behavior, athletics, and genetics to addiction and other conditions.
Joanna describes on her blog, Fast at Forty, what this honor means to her:
My induction into the Jewish Sports Hall of Fame means more to me than a celebration of past achievements. I view this honor as a means to helping other fledgling Jewish athletes succeed in an arena where they may not be encouraged or even worse discouraged. Being a ‘Jewish athlete’ should not be a label; we are athletes who are Jewish.”
If you are interested in learning more about Joanna, you can follow her at http://www.joanna-zeiger.com.