"To
all of the wonderful people we met along the way we say thank you, and God bless."
History of Events
Below you will find a history of some of the IronDad Shrinemason's
activities A one-man, 37 day, 1614 mile (2614 km) The Route? The Triathlon began June 16th 1998 in Victoria, BC and ended
37 days and 1614 miles later down the Pacific Coast Highway in Tijuana, Mexico.
This trip was a special event to increase awareness of, and to give recognition
to the important work done by the Shriners and the Shriners Hospitals For Children. This charity is completely
funded by the Shrine Organization, and operates at no cost whatsoever to the patient or their f
About The Triathlete Al Malaikahan Noble Mark Elliott is a Canadian-born resident of Southern California.
In preparation for this personal odyssey, he began intense
physical training in the summer of 1997. He worked on running, swimming and bicycling every day, keeping this goal
in mind. In preparation for this journey Mark went from 312 down to 197 pounds, a total weight loss of 115 pounds! Elliott became a Shriner in 1994 with Al Azhar Temple (Calgary,
AB) and he is a member of Zetland Lodge #83 (Calgary, AB), Fellowship Lodge #668 (Yucaipa, CA), San Bernardino
Valley Scottish Rite (San Bernardino, CA), Orange Belt Shrine Club (Redlands, CA), and Al Malaikah Temple (Los
Angeles, CA). This endeavor has been inspired by the lives of two fine Masonic
gentlemen. These men enriched the lives of all who knew them, and many who didn't. It is to them that this triathlon
is dedicated. Gordon May and Donald McDiarmid
Here are a few photos from the TRIBUTE TRIATHLON
Click
here to visit the Shriners Hospitals for Children's site about the TRIBUTE TRIATHLON !
The IRONDAD SHRINEMASON
completes Full
Vineman Triathlon On July 31st 1999 The Irondad Shrinemason hit the Russian River at 6:30 am.
After completing the 2.4 mile swim he cycled 112 miles through the Sonoma wine country and then followed that up
with a marathon run of 26.2 miles through the vineyards in and around Santa Rosa California. As per his goal he
completed the Ironman distance Vineman
Triathlon. Here are a few photos..................
Feeling fresh
Ready to roll
It was a very long but rewarding day.
One goal down but lots more to come!
What's On The Horizon You Say? Starting in mid June 2005 The IRONDAD Shrinemason has set his sights on helping
to promote awareness of the Shriners Hospitals For Children by swimming,
cycling and running from Canada to Mexico. Know a child we can help?
Why do what we do.
To all of the wonderful people we met along the way we say thank
you, and God bless.
trek
along the Pacific coast from Canada, through the United States to Mexico. On a daily basis, the miles were covered
by a combination of running,cycling,
and whenever possible, ocean swimming.
This trip was funded purely from personal sources, with no outside money sought or received. It is a gesture from
one Shriner, and his family. It is their way of contributing to "The World's Greatest Philanthropy"It's Purpose?
amily. This journey was not about raising money, it was about meeting people and sharing
information. It was about saying "Thank you" to the Masons, Shriners and their families for supporting
these charitable endeavors.
This journey has long been a personal dream. The realization of which is made all the
more special by it's tribute to Donald McDiarmid and Gordon May.
Mark is proud to be a Freemason, Scottish Rite Mason and a Shriner. "The family of Freemasonry is one of the
most fulfilling things that a man and his family can be involved with. God has blessed our family with two beautiful
healthy children. This trip, and our involvement with the Shrine is our way of helping other parents and their
kids who are not as fortunate."
Getting off the Ferry from Victoria B.C.
Oyster Shucker
Rainy Weather
in Washington
TJ sends his Papa off on a swim
Ready for the Pacific?
More liquid sunshine
Enjoying the Oregon coast
Ya gotta love the beach
Joel and Jacqui's visit meant a great deal to us
Even in Texas they don't grow'em this big
Avenue of the Giants
Long and winding road just before
the big climb up Leggett hill
City by the Bay
Visiting Shriners Hospital
For Children in L.A.
Sand Fez
One last campfire
Next stop, Mexico
Ya hoo!
Tijuana Mexico 1614 miles from Victoria BC
On Saturday August
4th 2001 The IRONDAD Shrinermason set his sights on helping to promote
awareness of the Shriners Hospitals
For Children at the International Newline Triathlon World Long Distance Championship
which began at 8:00 am, Saturday August 4th 2001
in Fredericia Denmark. This is was a full Ironman distance triathlon.
Mark had a great swim, despite a few encounters with Jellyfish in the chilly waters off the Danish shore. He then
hopped on his bike and was off to tackle the 112 mile cycling portion of the event. At the 55 mile point of the
race he experienced a mechanical breakdown on his bike and was unfortunately unable to go any further.
This was a disappointment to say the least. However the experience as a whole was tremendous and the support he
received from the media, public and Masonic fraternity was overwhelming.
Nothing is written in stone but he is determined
This journey will be even longer than the 1614 mile Tribute Triathlon he undertook in 1998.
Please call toll free:
1-800-237-5055 in the USA
1-800-361-7256 in Canada
Why we did what we did.
Everything you ever wanted to know about the Shriners can
be found by visiting the Official Shriners Homepage.
(click above)