'Canadian sporting icon' Jo

Kelowna woman inducted into World Triathlon Hall of Fame

Jo-Anne Ritchie described as ‘pioneer,’ ‘Canadian sporting icon’ by World Triathlon

If you've ever been out for a run and had a woman run up beside you, greet you kindly and suddenly take off, it might have been Jo-Anne Ritchie.

"Sometimes it's a little bit of an awkward moment — because you feel you have to, you know, they're people, and you feel you have to greet them," she told CBC's Daybreak South.

But don't feel too bad if Ritchie left you in her dust; she was just inducted into the World Triathlon Hall of Fame, at a ceremony in Pontevedra, Spain.

Ritchie's racing career began in the mid-'80s, when she entered a race in Kelowna and learned she loved to compete.

A strong swimmer, that part of triathlon came naturally to her. But she was keen to work on her biking and running.

"[Kelowna] was a beautiful place to train," she said.

"The cycling was fabulous here. I had tremendous support from the community, the triathlon community and then the broader community. People went out of their ways to help me."

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In 1991, she won her first triathlon world championship in Australia. The following year, she placed second in Muskoka, Ont., and placed third in Manchester in 1993.

According to World Triathlon, she also won the overall 1993 World Cup title and two Canadian championships.

"It was a lot of fun," Ritchie said. "It seemed like a very innocent age looking at it now, very optimistic period … we were so lucky to be doing what we were doing."

Jo-Anne Ritchie, pictured during her racing days, was a 'pioneer' in women's triathlon, according to World Triathlon. (World Triathlon)

World Triathlon considers Ritchie a pioneer of women's triathlon, and "one of Canada's greatest early international triathletes."

"A world champion. A pioneer. A Canadian sporting icon. And one of the women who helped establish the foundations of modern women's triathlon," the organization's profile of Ritchie reads.

Ritchie doesn't necessarily see herself as a pioneer, but said she did push for equality in the triathlon world.

"I think we just showed that it was possible," she said.

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After her racing career, Ritchie became a multi-sport coach and volunteer, according to World Triathlon.

She was the first inductee to the Triathlon Canada Hall of Fame in 2000, and was inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame the following year.

Ritchie has long since retired, and spends her days with friends and family. But she's still active in the community.

"I commute on my bike. I do swim," she said. "I've just slowed down."

Courtney Dickson is a journalist with CBC News based in Vancouver, covering stories throughout B.C. She has previously worked for CBC in Kamloops and Toronto. She has won Radio Television Digital News Association awards locally and nationally, and in 2022, won a Webster Award.