Last month, four USAT members from the Mid-Atlantic region
competed in the 20th Annual Race Across America (RAAM) to raise money for
charity. This year’s race started in
Portland, Ore. and finished in Gulf Breeze, Fla. The team of Lynn Brooks, Karen Buxton, Anne Viviani and Valerie
Gattis completed the 2,992-mile adventure in 7 days, 14 hours, 55 minutes. Their impressive finishing time was the
fifth fastest in the race. Ten of the
original twenty-nine solo- and group-teams did not even finish the race.
Brooks, Buxton, Viviani and Gattis are members of Zonta
International, a worldwide service organization comprised of over 34,000
members who work to raise money to support women’s education and leadership.
Founded in 1919 in Buffalo, New York, USA, Zonta takes its name from the Lakota
Sioux Indian word meaning "honest and trustworthy." Zontians
volunteer their time, talents and energy to local and international service
projects that are designed to advance the status of women.
The women raced to raise money for ZISVAW, a program of Zonta International
dedicated to eliminating violence against women and children. They called
themselves Zonta Team ZISVAW.
The team members all have strong backgrounds in multisport.
Brooks holds the record for the most completed Ironman World Championships. Her
team placed first in the 1997 RAAM and she has also completed the
Eco-Challenge. Buxton has competed in several triathlons and duathlons for Team
USA and is a USAT Level I Certified Coach. Viviani is also a member of Team USA
and is an All-American triathlete and duathlete. She was duathlon national
champion in 2001 and finished first in her age group in the 2001 ITU World
Duathlon Championships. Gattis placed first in her age group in the 1999 ITU
Triathlon World Championship and was also a member of the first place 1997 RAAM
team. She has raced in many Ironman World Championships and was named USAT
All-American in 1996. Gattis and Buxton both serve on USA Triathlon’s Board of
Directors.
For more information on Team ZISVAW and RAAM, visit
http://www.teamzisvaw.com.
Tax-deductible contributions to support the ZISVAW program
may be sent to the following address:
ZONTA TEAM ZISVAW
Joyce Seymour, Treasurer
1301 Bent Willow Lane
Louisville, KY 40214-5695
