Bob Johns: The Two-Syllabic Mountain

Standing front and center in this year's expected winners is Bob Johns: last year's men's co-winner. The FV3 Triathlon Historical Committee has published the following Player Profile on Bob...

Born in an urban desert and raised in the shadow of the Rocky Mountains, Bob Johns' style combines southern California glamor with Utah's subdued intensity. Bob often states that he is, "a portion of all I have met" and that it just so happens that he's met a lot of incredibly talented and attractive people.

Our story begins in a Sandy, UT with a shy boy and a project for Mr. Klell's history class. He learned about Teddy Roosevelt, the sickly boy who grew into a rough rider and an American President. The light of life shone brighter and Bob decided then and there that things were going to change. No longer would he be his sister's hair and makeup "dummy", no matter what they did to him. In fact, he vowed to someday lose all his hair rather than sit through another perm.

He convinced 7 close friends to leave a mark on the world with the nation's first High School octfecta: State Championships in Swimming, Cycling, Track, Football, Basketball, Baseball, Golf, Rugby and Wrestling. There were no "Gold Gym's" in those days so they tied a rope to an old piano and pulled it through empty lots.

His dad, who had been watching the struggle for some time, recognized this as Bob's moment. He took Bob to Sconecutter and told him about Teddy Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena"; that it was the pursuit of achievement that gave man life.

The fire was reborn and Bob decided to focus all his efforts on Track & Field, scholastics, and spiritual growth. No more worrying about being something he wasn't, about accomplishing something just for the world to see. It was time to focus.

Track & Field: The years of squat thrusts and piano pulls had made him more comfortable running while pulling large amounts of weight. As UHSAA rules clearly stated that a runner could not pull large objects during competition, Bob was at a disadvantage. Running w/o the extra weight actually caused him to fall over backwards as his legs outran his body. The solution was found with some rebar and a welder. With them, his father fashioned a pair of eye glasses that matched the piano's weight. And Bob, never looking back, won many events and received numerous scholarship offers.

Scholastics: He became a regular on the National Honor Society's school list and was also included in the "Who's Who" of National Highschool Achievers. As the headline from Hillcrest High's Green Sheet shows, Bob balanced books and sports.

Spiritual Growth: After high school Bob submitted his papers to serve a church mission and was called to Japan. He jumped in with both feet and was an outstanding teacher. At least that's the word on the street. Unfortunately, the only photographs of Bob from that time period simply show him striking poses, or dancing around his apartment in strange apparel with Christian Jacobs. When asked about this recently, Christian Jacobs responded, "What's the big deal? Some people actually earn a living jumping around in funny costumes." But Christian did more than help Bob Johns explore a budding interest in performance art, he offered him this piece of invaluable advice. "Bob, go out and live your dream, man. No matter how hard people may laugh at you...And by the way, they may laugh a little less if you lost the crazy glasses."

When Bob "returned with honor", he took Elder Jacobs advice, re-training his body and his mind to run without the "crutch" of his youth. Local colleges and universities took notice and he once again received a number of scholarship offers. The most "lucrative" being to the University of Utah which, due to his moral standards and highly refined mind, he quickly turned down. He decided instead to go to BYU without a scholarship and walk on to the track team. When asked about this decision he replied, "Well I wanted to graduate with a 4-year degree and, to be honest, I grew up thinking the University of Utah was a 2-year school. Besides that, I'd rather run for free at The Y than get paid to do so at 'The U'."

At BYU he walked on to the track team and became a "Harrier". He knew that he had reached the collegiate high life when he got his first pair of warm ups.

Shortly thereafter, he met, and subsequently woo-ed his wife Kristin (who most people will readily admit is way out of his league). It should be noted, however, that when she first saw him, Bob was actually wearing the team warm ups and Kristin only had a view of him from the back. When asked about this, Kristin admitted that although she was initially swayed by the magical powers of the collegiate warm ups, it was Bob's dedication to Track & Field, scholastics, and spiritual growth that really sealed the deal. With Kristin by his side, the possibilities seemed endless, and life was full of wonder. An attitude that Bob continues to adopt

to this day.

And thus, we salute you, Bob Johns. You are one heck of a man, and one heck of a competitor. May your life, and dedication to athletic excellence continue to be an inspiration to us all.