Background

On 12/10/20, five Las Vegas athletes were killed when a driver of a truck fell asleep and 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 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 triathletes who have passed away. 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.
The goal is to award at least three scholarships in each calendar year.
The scholarship is open to all active club members (i.e., current club membership).
An application will include a written statement describing the Scholarship Category being applied for as well any
information specific to the category (see Application information).

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

Application

Review timeline

  • Applications will be reviewed May 1st, 2022.
    • All applications must be received prior to that date.
    • Submit applications to [president@lvtriclub.com]
    • Recipients will be announced in late May 2022.
    • New Applications will be accepted in early 2023

Eligibility

  • All applicants must be current Las Vegas Triathlon Club members.
    • 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.