Triathlon Queensland
Hall of Fame
Jackie Fairweather (nee Gallagher)
inducted on the 8th of May 2009
Jackie Gallagher began competing in triathlon in 1992 and won the elite Australian national series in her first season. In 1996 she became the ITU world triathlon champion, setting a championship record time of 1 hour 50 minutes 52 seconds in Cleveland, Ohio. She also won the world duathlon championships in 1996 to become the only person ever to win both world titles in the same year.
Gallagher also won the world duathlon championships again in 1999, but narrowly missed repeating the double, when 2nd to Loretta Harrop in the ITU Montreal World Triathlon Championships. Gallagher collected further world championship silver medals in 1995 and 1997. In 1996 she and swimming superstar Susie O'Neill, shared the Australian Sportswoman of the Year award.
In 2001 Gallagher turned her focus to running, a move which proved to be very successful. At the Manchester Commonwealth Games she won the bronze medal in the marathon.
Gallagher has a Master of Science degree in Exercise Physiology. She was the inaugural Australian Institute of Sport Triathlon program head coach (2001-05) where she achieved remarkable success, with the program being awarded the 2005 AIS sport program of the year. She has served as an Executive Board Member of the International Triathlon Union and now works as a senior sports consultant for High Performance Improvement at the Australian Sports Commission.
Loretta Harrop
inducted on the 8th of May 2009
Loretta Harrop started her sporting career as a swimmer and only took up the triathlon when she was 21 years old. She progressed quickly and was selected in the national team within a year and became a world champion by the age of 24.
Harrop won a silver medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics and placed 5th at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. She competed in the 2002 Commonwealth Games and has had many other career highlights including winning gold in the 1999 Montreal ITU world triathlon championships and silver in Madeira in 2004. Harrop has reached the top step of the world cup podium on 12 occasions. In 2004 she won the prestigious Life Time Fitness triathlon, a race where she competed against men for the sports richest purse.
All triathletes are hard workers; however, Loretta is famous for her work ethic in training. Even on Christmas Day in 1999, Loretta went out for a 40-mile bike ride and 7.5 mile run.
Harrop is now retired from professional competition, but she still actively involved in triathlon. Harrop lives on the Gold Coast with her husband Brad, son Hayden and daughter Emmerson.
Brad Beven
inducted on the 8th of May 2009
Brad "the Croc" Beven has been competing in triathlons since he was 13. His distinguished career has seen many highlights including a Prime Ministers award for services to sport; winning 19 world Cup events, an international grand prix championship, five Australian championships, seven Australian grand prix championships and a world indoor championship. Beven also was a three time silver medallist at the ITU world triathlon championships and led the world cup rankings for four consecutive years.
As a regional athlete Beven is a keen advocate of regional sport development. He has been the ambassador for the WeetBix Kids Tryathlon series, the Life Stream Mackay Triathlon and the Dirt n Dust Festival. Brad continues to support and participate in triathlons. In August 2006 he was head coach at the ITU triathlon camp for junior athletes in Hungary.
Beven is now running a highly successful coaching business, engaging a new generation of athletes and ensuring that many short and long course Queensland athletes achieve their sporting goals.
Miles Stewart
inducted on the 8th of May 2009
Miles Stewart made his first elite world championship team in 1989, aged 18. At age 20, Stewart experienced one of the defining moments of his career, winning the ITU world championships in his hometown, the Gold Coast. He remains the youngest triathlete to win an ITU elite world championship.
Following this, Stewart went on to win a world indoor championship, a world cup series, eight ITU world cups and the 1996 and 2000 Australian championships. Stewart is in the Guinness Book of World Records for the fastest triathlon time in the world.
In 2000, triathlon made its debut at the Sydney Olympic Games. Stewart was the first Australian home in the mens event, finishing sixth overall. He was awarded the Australian Sports Medal in 2001, competed at the 2002 Commonwealth Games finishing only three seconds behind the winner, to claim the silver medal for Australia.
In 2004, Stewart's last year on the international circuit, he was selected in the Australian team for the 16th consecutive year - arguably a record unlikely to be broken. In 2005, Stewart retired from the professional triathlon circuit. He remains actively involved in triathlon, sharing knowledge and experience with aspiring young athletes through training programs, giving back to the sport that keep him enthralled for 19 years.
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