Local trial lawyer Bill Bone, a Florida native and cycling advocate, established the BillBone Olympic Triathlon to promote the sport for recreational athletes. The inaugural race took place on Sunday, April 6, at Okeeheelee Park, drawing hundreds of participants and spectators to a professionally designed USA Triathlon-sanctioned Olympic Distance Course.
“We are super excited that Kirsten, who represented Triathlon Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics, and her husband, Matt, who raced for Team Canada at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, put this new race on their calendar,” Bone said. Participants of all levels shared the course with these elite athletes, creating an unforgettable experience for the community.
The triathlon course included a 1500-meter swim in Waterski Park, a 40-kilometer bike ride on sequestered roads monitored by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO), and a flat run through the shade trees at Okeeheelee Park. Boy Scout Troop 812 of Hobe Sound opened the event with a presentation of colors and served a free pancake breakfast for all athletes and spectators.
Festivities began earlier that weekend on Friday, April 4, with an exclusive Meet & Greet Cocktail Party hosted by Bill Bone at his downtown West Palm Beach office. Registered participants and members of the Downtown Neighborhood Association had the rare opportunity to meet and mingle with Olympic Triathletes Kirsten Kasper and Matthew Sharpe in a casual setting ahead of race day.
Proceeds from the BillBone Olympic Triathlon and donations from participants will benefit the PBSO Explorer and Junior Explorer Programs, helping to inspire and prepare the next generation of law enforcement leaders. The event is one of over 20 different athletic events sponsored and produced by billbone.com each year.
