Fernanda Keller and Kathleen McCartney to be inducted into IRONMAN Hall of Fame

July 8, 2024

Influential IRONMAN athletes Fernanda Keller and Kathleen McCartney to be honored for their achievements and contributions to IRONMAN and the sport of triathlon

TAMPA, Fla. (July 8, 2024) /SPORTSWIRE WOMEN/ – IRONMAN is pleased to announce that icons of the sport Kathleen McCartney and Fernanda Keller will be inducted into the IRONMAN^® Hall of Fame this year. An induction ceremony is planned for race week of the men’s 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship^® in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i and the two will also be celebrated during the 2024 VinFast IRONMAN World Championship women’s race in Nice, France.

• Fernanda Keller became the first Brazilian woman to compete and podium at the IRONMAN World Championship and has completed the event an astounding 27 times, including 23 consecutive years among her approximately 100 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 finishes. Racing initially as a professional, Fernanda is the only triathlete in the world to place 3^rd overall a total of six times, from 1994-2000, and add another 14 finishes in the women’s top ten in the years that followed. In addition, Fernanda has won IRONMAN Brazil a total of five times and been runner up four times. Keller has become a national sports icon in Brazil and remains one of the most successful triathletes to ever compete, and in 2015 was featured as one of Forbes’ most powerful women in sports. Keller’s impact on IRONMAN and female sport continues to today. An advocate for mental health through sport, Fernanda founded Instituto Fernanda Keller, which focuses on serving adolescents from low-income families through education and physical activity. It celebrates its 25th year of operation in 2024.
• Kathleen McCartney earned the title of IRONMAN World Champion in her first appearance at the IRONMAN World Championship in 1982. As a 22-year-old college student attending UC Irvine, McCartney famously passed a crawling Julie Moss in the final 10 yards to capture the IRONMAN World Championship title and forever link the two in one of the most defining moments of IRONMAN’s history and for female sports. McCartney went on to complete six IRONMAN World Championship races as a professional from 1982 to 1988, inspiring global audiences with her performances. She has continued to have far reaching impact on the sport as a TriDot triathlon coach in addition to completing the IRONMAN World Championship again in 2012 for the 30^th anniversary of her World Championship-winning race and in 2018 as part of celebrating 40 years of IRONMAN. Perhaps one of the most defining moments of her 46 years of contributions to the sport and IRONMAN came in 2017 and the IRONMAN World Championship that she did not finish. McCartney wasn’t racing for herself that year, as she shared a journey with close friend Mike Levine who was battling terminal pancreatic cancer. She helped to motivate Mike from an acceptance of his diagnosis, to fighting to live another day and make it to the start line of the 2017 IRONMAN World Championship, proving that sometimes it’s more about the journey to the start and self-belief than the result.

“It is with great pride that we will induct these two amazing women into our IRONMAN Hall of Fame,” said Scott DeRue, Chief Executive Officer for The IRONMAN Group. “Kathleen and Fernanda have each represented the very best of IRONMAN, for decades both as competitors and ambassadors for the sport. Their contributions as professional athletes, age group athletes, mentors and spokespeople have demonstrated what it truly means to embrace and lift up the community of athletes, fans and women around them. We want to thank Fernanda and Kathleen for their lasting impact on our sport, and congratulate them on a truly deserved induction to the IRONMAN Hall of Fame. We look forward to celebrating with them later this year.”

Founded in 1993, the IRONMAN Hall of Fame was created to honor individuals who have performed at the highest levels of IRONMAN or made outstanding contributions to the growth of the world’s most famous triathlon race series. McCartney and Keller join a prestigious list of remarkable athletes and contributors, honored for what they have given to the sport of triathlon and IRONMAN both inside and outside of competition.

Athletes McCartney and Keller react to their selections

Fernanda Keller:

“I have really dedicated to my life to this [sport] and promoting IRONMAN in Brazil,” said Keller. “I’m proud to be a woman because when I started doing IRONMAN, everybody told me that this was not for girls. I didn’t see myself as a girl or a boy. That became for me something that I used as my power to show them that they were wrong. In a few years I became a national champion, and I did prove that they were wrong; that triathlon is not only for boys, but for all of us. Last year I celebrated my 60th birthday in Kona and I could see this legacy when I was riding along. This is such an honor for me.”

Kathleen McCartney:

“Thank you so much for this incredible honor! Ever since I crossed the finish line in 1982, I have embraced the IRONMAN lifestyle and have shared the enriching life lessons that IRONMAN has taught me with my loved ones and community. I’m so excited that now, as part of the IRONMAN Hall of Fame, I will have another new beginning with my IRONMAN ‘Ohana for more giving back, more mentoring, more encouragement and more opportunity to see dreams come true in the sport of triathlon and IRONMAN for generations to come.”

IRONMAN Hall of Fame:

For more information about the IRONMAN Hall of Fame and its members, visit www.ironman.com/hall-of-fame.

For more information on the IRONMAN brand and global event series, visit www.ironman.com. Media-related inquiries should be directed to press@ironman.com.

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About The IRONMAN Group

The IRONMAN Group operates a global portfolio of events that includes the IRONMAN^® Triathlon Series, the IRONMAN^® 70.3^® Triathlon Series, 5150™ Triathlon Series, the Rock ‘n’ Roll^® Running Series, IRONKIDS^®, World Triathlon Championship Series, premier running events including the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon™ and City2Surf^®, UTMB^® World Series trail-running events including the Canyons Endurance Runs™ by UTMB^®, Tarawera Ultra-Trail™ by UTMB^® and Ultra-Trail Australia™ by UTMB^®, Epic Series™ mountain bike races including the Absa Cape Epic^®, road cycling events, and other multisport races. The IRONMAN Group is the largest operator of mass participation sports in the world, providing participants the benefits of endurance sports through the company’s vast offerings. Catering to the full athlete experience, the company portfolio also includes FulGaz^® virtual cycling, the most realistic indoor riding experience connected fitness application aimed at preparing athletes for real-world events. Since the inception of the iconic IRONMAN^® brand and its first event in 1978, athletes have proven that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE^® by crossing finish lines around the world. Beginning as a single race, The IRONMAN Group has grown to become a global sensation with hundreds of events across 55+ countries. The IRONMAN Group is owned by Advance, a private, family-owned business, and Orkila Capital, a growth equity firm focused on building great brands. For more information, visit www.ironman.com/about-ironman-group.

About Advance 

Advance is a private, family-held business that owns and invests in companies across media, entertainment, technology, communications, education and other promising growth sectors. Our mission is to build the value of our companies over the long-term by fostering growth and innovation. Advance’s portfolio includes Condé Nast, Advance Local, Stage Entertainment, The IRONMAN Group, American City Business Journals, Leaders Group, Turnitin, and Pop. Together these operating companies employ more than 14,000 people in 29 countries. Advance is also among the largest shareholders in Charter Communications, Warner Bros. Discovery and Reddit. For more information visit www.advance.com.