By Jay Prasuhn
June 21, 2007 -- Jim McCann, one of San Diego’s most visible members of the area multisport community, died Wednesday night (June 20) of an apparent heart attack. He was 46.
McCann, the president of the Triathlon Club of San Diego since 2000, is survived by his wife, Dee Dee.
Taking presidency of the Triathlon Club of San Diego eight years ago, McCann is credited with growing the club, with just over 300 members when he stepped in, to the nearly 1,800 current members. The club also was known for drawing top names to monthly club meetings including Dave Scott, Chris McCormack, Peter Reid, Michellie Jones, Bob Babbitt, Tim DeBoom and Mark Allen among others. “Jim always had the best interest of the members in the forefront, no matter the cost,” said TCSD club treasurer Brian Long from the McCann home. “We get 160 people out for the aquathons, basically an event and food, for free.”
McCann’s goal with the club was to be 100 percent inclusionary. “Sometimes there would be maybe a third of the people at club workouts that weren’t part of the club,” Long recalls. “I’d ask him about that he and he’d say ‘don’t worry about it, they’ll be members soon.’ For him it was just having a bunch of athletes, no matter the level, come out, participate and just have fun with a great group of people.”
Craig Zelent, the club’s Ironman coach, echoed the sentiments of a selfless man. “Jim was the classic giver,” Zelent said. “He really built the tri club into a 1,700 member group of friends. I know the sport’s strong, but with his leadership, we did a lot of things right here in San Diego like monthly races, his own aquathon series. Last Saturday night, Jim and Dee Dee invited the whole tri club into their house for a potluck. Who takes a risk like that, to invite 1,700 people to your house? It’s synonymous with his giving. I’m thankful I got to attend that.”
McCann also started wetsuitrental.com, an online business allowing athletes to rent wetsuits for races.
A baseball player through college, McCann segued into endurance sports with the Coronado Half Marathon, then started doing biathlons and triathlons in the 1980s. He did Ironman Canada in 2001, finishing in 15:02 and participated in local events annually.
“He was such a key player in the sport in the Mecca of the sport,” Zelent said. “He will be missed.”
Triathlon Club of San Diego is still in the early planning stages for a club event celebrating McCann’s life. For further information, visit triclubsandiego.org