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Courtney Convey
 At first glance, Courtney Convey is your typical suburban teenager. But Though thousands of girls around the country participate in multiple high school sports like Convey, few if any, can match her success as a triathlete. Why participate in a triathlon? Well, if you talk to Courtney, it makes sense. “I have been a swimmer my whole life and I like to run, so my mom signed me Since that day, the Aurora native has never looked back. Most recently, she She placed fourth in her age group (16-19) at last year’s Age Group World “It was cool because so many countries were represented and to do well was really special,” she says. The soft-spoken Convey is looking forward to the 2009 Pan-American Triathlon Confederation Championships in Oklahoma City in May. Her advice to fledgling triathletes is simple: “Don’t get lazy. There is
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Isai Madriz
 In September 2007, Isai Madriz of Montgomery, Ill., embarked on something that not only demonstrated his athletic ability, but also the size of his heart and the power of his will.
As a poor Latino immigrant, Madriz struggled to find money for college. A runner in high school turned cyclist, he attended a nearby community college before a local charity specializing in helping young Latinos go to college afforded him the opportunity to complete a degree in marine biology and zoology at Humboldt State University in California. Now a college graduate, Madriz wants to give something back to the Jesus Guadalupe Foundation and he is doing it in the best way he knows how. Nearly 18 months ago, Madriz began a bike ride beginning in Chicago and ending in Caracas, Venezuela. Oh, and he is also making a stop at the southern tip of Argentina. Madriz hopes to bring public awareness and support to the St. Charles-based charity during his 22,500-mile bike ride. Fourteen months in, he is already in Lima, Peru, with a handful of sponsors and www.isaimadriz.com, a Web site where viewers can track his progress and learn about him and the Jesus Guadalupe Foundation |
