Hunter Kemper - Olympian and Top US Triathlete

Hunter Kemper will deliver a presentation about his journey from IronKids National Champion to Olympian.  He will also participate in the “Stars of USAT-SE Region Panel Discussion”, assist with presentation of the 2006 USAT-SE year end awards, and sign autographs and answer questions at designated booths at the expo.

• 2006 Lifetime Fitness "Battle of the Sexes" Champion
• 2005 USOC Sportsman of the Year
• 2005 World Ranked #1
• 2-Time Olympian (2000, 2004)
• 6-Time U.S. Elite National Champion (1998, 1999 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006)
• 2003 Pan American Games Gold Medalist

From his start in IronKids in 1986, Hunter won four IronKids National Age Group Championships and two IronKids National Senior Championships (14 years and under).  He was a member of the cross country and track teams at Wake Forest University, and between his junior and senior year he won the Amateur National Triathlon Championship in Columbia, Maryland.  After graduating from Wake Forest in 1998, Hunter became a professional triathlete and won his first Pro National Championship that year.

In May 2000, he won the USA Olympic Triathlon Trials in Dallas, Texas. Hunter was the top U.S. male finisher in the Olympic Triathlon in Sydney, Australia, placing 17th overall. At the end of the season he was honored with the United States Olympic Committee Triathlete of the Year Award.
Hunter qualified for his second U.S. Olympic Team at the ITU Honolulu Triathlon in April 2004. He was the top American at all three Olympic qualifying races that year. Hunter finished 9th in the 2004 Olympics in Athens... he had the fastest run split and was the top American!

Hunter ended the 2005 season ranked #1 in the world, becoming the first U.S. male to accomplish that standing.