Saipan says farewell to a champion

After leading Team Pepsi to the heights of the triathlon ranks in Palau during the 2005 South Pacific Mini-Games less than two weeks ago, the former president of the Northern Marianas Islands Triathlon Federation Stephan Samoylof will be packing up his gear and heading off to the Great White North for good tomorrow.

Samoyloff came to Saipan in 1996 when he signed on with the Commonwealth Healthcare Center as a doctor in the Emergency Room, but when he came to the CNMI he was far from the overachieving triathlete whom he has become today. In his early days on island, Samoyloff said that he and his wife Deena sang with the Saipan Chorale and acted with the Friends of the Arts, but his career as a thespian soon took a back seat to the world of multisport when he first got into the local racing scene.

The man who went from a non-racer to a champion said that his biggest influences on Saipan over the past nine years were Jean Sakovich and Peter “Strong Work” Sinclair, and that he entered the local race scene when the NMITF hosted a triathlon clinic for beginners as a lark.

“I think I was second to last out of the water that race, and had to use a mountain bike,” he said.

Since then, Samoyloff participated in numerous races including the South Pacific Games, XTERRA Saipan Championship, Guam Extreme Adventure Race (GEAR), and the VORAXTERE 3. Recently he added a feather to his cap when he was featured in the video special produced by Team Unlimited that covered the XTERRA Saipan Championship.

It’s only fitting that the man who has done so much for the local triathlon community move to the home of Ironman Canada in Penticton, British Columbia, but aside from his new life in Canada, Samoyloff said that he is also excited about the 2005-06 season of the National Hockey League. “Are you kidding? Gretzky coaching, Mario Lemieux drafting the hottest prospect since Mario Lemieux, and the Canucks peaking—it’s going to be great!”

Though he has won medals while representing the CNMI in international competition and earned bids for the XTERRA World Championships in Maui, Samoyloff said that his proudest moment while a member of the CNMI sporting scene was just a week ago in Palau during the 2005 South Pacific Mini-Games.

“Undoubtedly on Wednesday, Aug. 3, seeing Melissa Coleman and Anneka Sakovich on the podium with the CNMI flag in the background,” he said.

While Samoyloff is leaving island, he is not leaving behind the active lifestyle he picked up here, as he plans to compete in the Raid the North in Nelson, British Columbia.

“That’s the treasure I take back with me from the islands. I may not be as committed time wise to the sport like I was to really race fast, but we’ll always stay active. (The Raid the North in Nelson organizers) have three races that they put on every year across the country. It’s just luck that they chose Nelson, which is where I’m from. It’s just beautiful country—lakes, rivers, glaciers, forests—it’s going to be fantastic.”

Samoyloff said that the first thing that he plans to buy when he returns to Canada is a new pair of hockey skates, and that he is going to look into cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. While he’s not sure when or if he will be returning to Saipan, Samoyloff said that a part of him will ache if he is away this April.

“It’s not clear (if I’ll be coming back to race), but it’ll kill me to miss the Saipan Sports Fest 2006.”

The “Doc” said that he has mixed emotions about leaving the Marianas saying that it is both “very sad and exciting at the same time.” While he won’t miss any of the drivers who failed to share the road with cyclists, he said that he will miss training with his friends—especially the full moon night rides and adventure race training with the guys.

For those who have already participated in triathlons, Samoyloff said that it is important to keep the faith if you want to succeed, and that nothing comes easy.

“You gotta believe, and you gotta go out and train,” he said.

While saying that there are simply too many people to thank individually, Samoyloff offered a little something for everyone who helped the NMITF and the races it supports become what it has.

“The community in general has supported the sport in so many ways: land access, volunteers, private sponsors, government support. Also the Saipan Swim Club, for their help and Taga Inc for working so hard to give us something to aim for every year,” he said

Samoyloff offered some final advice to anyone interested in participating in triathlons, and said that if someone ever wanted to enter the world of multisport, that Saipan would be the ideal place to do so.

“We are very lucky that we have a friendly and supportive attitude amongst the triathletes here. It makes it so much easier and so much more fun to enter a daunting sport. Everywhere else you go triathletes are kind of uptight and obsessive, and beginners can be turned off. I encourage as many beginners, especially more locals and more youth, to take it up here as possible, because there will be no better place to test the waters.”

As for incoming NMITF president Dirk Sharer, Samoyloff said that he has little to offer the experienced triathlete and friend, but added something he picked up during his term.

“He knows what to do, but I learned the biggest lesson this year was to “Give the people what they want”, and Sue (Knecht) knows what they want.”