Player Profile

A successful man once paid homage to his family, friends and acquaintances by saying, "I am a part of all I have met." The FV3 Memorial Day Triathlon will be a part of all those who participate. Each brings his or her own history into one composite to create a narrative that's bigger than each but incomplete without all.

From time to time we will explore the history of participants to document the narrative of what will be the best FV3 Memorial Day Triathlon to date.

Ritchie "Good Guys Finish First" Blake was born and raised in rural southern Utah. He learned his first lessons from a mother and father who taught all their children the value of preparing for life, and specifically future athletic endeavors. He remembers being told, "one day there could be a sport that combines swimming, biking and running. You must start preparing now." He spent that day in the family pool and began looking for an education and career that would keep him close to water.

His father grew concerned during his formative Elementary Days, when Ritchie began replacing his daily swims/bike/run workouts with song and dance. His mother, not wanting to quash his creative spirit, rented a "Conductor" outfit each Thursday morning after dad went to the office. Ritchie insisted on the same outfit for years and credits it with keeping his frame small enough to wrestle in the 97 lb. category in high school. It's a little-known family secret that his favorite movie to this day is "Music Man". His father still shakes his head when he hears Ritchie refer to his wife, Melissa, in a sing-songy fashion as "Marianne the Librarian."

Ritchie was the proverbial "late bloomer". He entered high school as a "scrawny boy in a conductor outfit." (which may have been the root of Freshman self-esteem issues - but that's neither here nor there).

That freshman year another "Marianne the Librarian" came into his life. She was a friendly girl who, as the story goes, politely told him one Thursday, "enough with the conductor outfit - stop wearing it to school and more people will like you." He ran to the boys locker, tore it off, and put on the only thing he could find. His wrestling career was born and he got back to his dad's training recommendations.

From high school he entered the Merchant Marine Academy to allow him to focus on the swimming portion of his dad's regimen. To his delight he was also allowed to run until his legs wouldn't move any more in "basic training". While at the MMA he developed into the swimmer his dad always knew he could be. He also met and married the Melissa "You better win it or I will" Blake.

Today Ritchie spends his days sleeping and nights at the docks. He's become the race's "Dark Horse" with his under-the-radar training. This past week he swam to and from work twice, ran it once, and biked twice. It won't surprise anyone in the know if Ritchie comes in as a podium finisher and proves that Good Guys really can finish first.