USA Triathlon Honors the 2024 Multisport Lifestyle Award Winners

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — USA Triathlon today announced the five winners of the 2024 USA Triathlon Multisport Awards, annual honors that recognize USA Triathlon members who help fuel the multisport lifestyle through service, sportsmanship, and community contributions.  

The 2024 Multisport Award winners were honored on June 6 in Omaha, Nebraska, at the 2025 USA Triathlon Multisport National Championships Festival Presented by Mutual of Omaha.  

VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR 

Charlie Holder

The Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes an individual or organization whose volunteer leadership has been transformative and has mobilized and unified athletes, programs and organizations in the multisport community. The recipient of the 2024 Volunteer of the Year Award is Charlie Holder, whohas demonstrated a strong commitment to making triathlon and endurance sports more inclusive. Having survived two serious car accidents, one resulting in a traumatic brain injury, Holder approaches volunteerism with a strong sense of purpose and dedication to community involvement. As an ambassador for The Kyle Pease Foundation, he has completed over 50 races a push-assist volunteer and has raised more than $30,000 to support athletes with disabilities. Holder has also volunteered for several years at the Shepherd’s Center Paratriathlon Camp and regularly supports youth-focused initiatives like kids’ triathlons, the Kilometer Kids program, and the Georgia Peach Women’s Triathlon.  

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Melissa Merson

2024 winnerMelissa Merson exemplifies the qualifications for USA Triathlon’s Lifetime Achievement Award through her extensive contributions to the sport on triathlon governance, athlete development, and international relations within the sport. A USA Triathlon Level I Certified Coach, Race Director and World Triathlon Continental Official, Merson has been a dedicated volunteer at all levels of triathlon sport governance. She founded the Arlington Triathlon Club more than 20 years ago, creating the longest-running elementary school-based triathlon training program in the U.S., and has directed the Arlington Triathlon in Memory of Anne Viviani, a World Triathlon-style race for kids, for over 10 years. Merson led the USAT Women’s Committee, representing at the inaugural Olympic triathlon in Sydney 2000. She was the first woman and only second American elected to the World Triathlon executive board, where she used her diplomatic skills to bridge international divisions in the sport.  

MOST INSPIRATIONAL COMEBACK AWARD

Luis Gonzalez

Luis Gonzalez is the honoree of the 2024 Most Inspirational Comeback Award, which honors an athlete who has made a comeback to the sport after a traumatic or troublesome personal situation. After a serious crash during Ironman Wisconsin in 2016, followed by a heart attack and kidney setback in 2017, Gonzalez, despite facing major health challenges, was determined to race again. In 2018, he returned to Ironman Wisconsin and completed the race, marking a significant personal comeback. His journey didn’t stop there; after surviving a back injury in 2021, he achieved the unimaginable by finishing both Ironman Wisconsin and Indiana, earning Ironman Legacy Status with 12 full-distance finishes. Gonzalez founded the Life Power Foundation, wrote a children's book, and inspired countless others to believe in themselves. 

MIKE GREER SPIRIT OF MULTISPORT AWARD

Mark Saroni

This award, named in honor of Mike Greer, recognizes those individuals who illustrate the principles of the positive spirit of the sport as displayed through acts of sportsmanship and leadership in multisport. Greer dedicated his life to multisport as an athlete, race director, official, volunteer, author, speaker, coach, and innovator across a nearly four-decade career. 2024 honoree, Mark Saroni has made significant contributions as a coach, mentor, race director, and community leader, making him a true ambassador for the sport. As the founder and head coach of Paragon Training, Saroni has helped shape one of Texas’s premier triathlon clubs, with nearly 300 members. Saroni’s impact extends beyond coaching, with initiatives like the Texas Tough Duathlon, Splash and Dash youth events, and the Paragon Pro Project, which supports young athletes aspiring to go pro. His mentorship extends to athletes, young coaches, and paratriathletes, most notably guiding visually impaired paratriathlete Brandon Adame in international competitions.  

JEFF JEWEL SERVICE TO USA TRIATHLON AND SPORT AWARD

Ron Weinert

This award honors Jeff Jewell, a massage therapist for Team USA from 2001–2009. Known as one of life’s biggest cheerleaders, Jewell inspired everyone he met with his passion for the sport. This award recognizes individuals of impeccable character who demonstrate unwavering dedication through selfless service.2024 honoree Ron Weinert has been a dedicated volunteer, sighted guide, handler, cheerleader, USAT Coach, and Dare2tri board member/chairman for over 10 years. He is the ultimate ambassador for the sport of triathlon, supporting several paratriathletes by guiding them through their first steps in the sport —navigating open water, riding a tandem bike, or using a racing wheelchair. His encouragement has inspired both para-athletes and able-bodied athletes alike, as well as mentoring volunteers and sighted guides, all of whom have joined the multisport family. His life embodies the spirit of the Jeff Jewell Award, as he consistently inspires others to take on challenges and achieve the improbable.  

USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon, as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon, paratriathlon, and indoor and virtual multisport events in the United States. Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon sanctions more than 3,500 events and races and connects with and supports more than 300,000 unique active members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work at the grassroots level with athletes, coaches, and race directors — as well as the USA Triathlon Foundation — USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including World Triathlon World Championships, Pan American Games and the Olympic and Paralympic Games.