Background

On 12/10/20, five Las Vegas athletes were killed when an impaired driver ran into a group of cyclists. The athletes were Tom Trauger, Erin Ray, Aksoy Ahmet, Michael Murray, and Gerrard Nieva. These five athletes are endearingly referred to as TEAMG (Tom, Erin, Aksoy, Michael, and Gerrard).

Following their deaths, there has been a upswell of community support for the families and survivors directly affected. There has also been a renewed call for action to create a safer environment for our athletes to train here in the Greater Las Vegas Valley.

The purpose of the Las Vegas Triathlon Club Legacy Scholarship is to honor the legacy of TEAMG as well as any local triathlete who have been killed or injured as result of impaired or distracted driving. The Legacy Scholarship is designed to encourage involvement in triathlon by new athletes, youth athletes, and/or continuing athletes in special need.

General Information

  • The number and amount of scholarships will vary based upon funding available and eligible applicants.
  • The goal is to award at least three scholarships in each calendar year.

Scholarship Categories

  • New triathlete
    A barrier to enter triathlon is often the expense of gear, race registrations, and/or travel, for example. The
    purpose of this category of scholarship is to support new athletes entering the sport. The applicant can
    request funding to support acquiring gear, race registration, and/or travel, for example. The applicant
    should describe how the scholarship will remove barriers to a lifelong pursuit of multisport involvement.
  • Youth / Collegiate triathlete
    The future of triathlon is built upon involvement of youth in the sport. The purpose of this category of
    scholarship is to encourage and support youth and collegiate members. Some barriers to youth/collegiate
    triathletes include the cost of education on top of the cost of participation in the sport (e.g., gear, travel,
    race registrations). The applicant should describe how the scholarship would support their educational
    and triathlon goals.
  • SOS Scholarship
    Things happen … and there may be times that a triathlete needs special assistance. The purpose of this
    scholarship is to assist a triathlete in some manner to allow continued involvement in the sport.

Click here for the 2022 Legacy Scholarship Awardees

Click here for the 2023 Legacy Scholarship awardees

Application

Review timeline

  • Applications for the “Youth/Collegiate Triathlete” and “New triathlete” categories must be received by April 14th and will be reviewed starting May 1st, 2023.
  • Applications for the “SOS Scholarship” will be reviewed on an on-going basis.
  • Submit applications to [president@lvtriclub.com]
  • Applications will be reviewed by the Las Vegas Triathlon Club Board and Ad Hoc members representing TEAMG.

Eligibility

  • All applicants must be current Las Vegas Triathlon Club members or become a member upon notice of receiving an award (scholarship will be awarded net of membership fees).
    • Membership can either be as an individual or as part of a Family membership.

Review criteria

  • All categories:
    • Enthusiasm and involvement with triathlon.
    • Endurance comment engagement/service.
    • Ability to overcome obstacles to achieve goals.

Additional criteria

  • New triathlete
    • Must demonstrate new to the sport (e.g., first 1-2 years).
    • The applicant should describe how the scholarship will remove barriers to a lifelong pursuit of multisport involvement.
  • Youth/Collegiate
    • Must be enrolled in at least 3 credits of higher education or a currently enrolled K-12 student.
    • The applicant should describe how the scholarship would support their educational and triathlon goals.
  • SOS
    • The recipient must be a Las Vegas Triathlon Club Member (either individual or family).
    • A person can be nominated with the application being submitted by the nominee.
    • The nominee must confirm approval to submit.
    • The application should include information about the immediate need.

An application must include the following:

  • All applications must include a statement that the applicant is a current LVTC member (individual, collegiate, or family).
  • For “Youth/Collegiate” category:
    • A personal statement describing your involvement in triathlon, your educational goals, and how this scholarship would be helpful to achieve your triathlon and educational goals.
    • Include a resume that describes your race history as well as races you are currently registered for and/or goal races.
    • Include your educational background on your resume.
  • For the “New Triathlete” category:
    • A personal statement describing your current involvement in triathlon and how this scholarship would be helpful to achieve your triathlon goals.
    • Include a list of races you are currently registered for.
  • For the “SOS Scholarship” category:
    • A personal statement describing your involvement in triathlon and how this scholarship would be helpful to achieve your triathlon goals.
    • Please include your race history as well as races you are currently registered for and/or goal races