February 26, 2009
Beijing Olympic Marathon Gold Medalist Constantina Dita of Erie, Colorado, will be the featured speaker March 8th at the Sportswomen of Colorado’s 35th Annual Awards Celebration in Denver, Colorado..
Dita, a longtime Colorado resident, will talk about her winning run in Beijing and her athletic life in Colorado. Her gold medal in Beijing capped what had already been an illustrious career. Dita has won gold, silver, and bronze medals in the World Half-Marathon Championships, a bronze medal in the 2005 Helsinki World Championships Marathon, and six times achieved the podium at World Marathon major events, including a victory at the 2004 LaSalle Bank Chicago Marathon.
Dita first visited Colorado in 2001 for training, and from 2005 became a local homeowner. She currently resides in Erie, Colorado, with her son, Rafael, who is a student at Erie Middle School. “I am really honored to be chosen to speak at the awards dinner for the Sportswomen of Colorado. Colorado has been a great place for me. This is a fantastic organization, and we should all encourage young girls to play sports and be active.”
Past keynote speakers have included world champion cyclist Alison Dunlop, US women’s soccer team gold medalist player and coach April Heinrichs, University of Colorado basketball coach Ceal Barry, and Ellen Miller, the first women to have ascended Mt. Everest from both sides. Past winners of Colorado’s Sportswoman of the Year have included April Heinrichs, champion racecar driver Melanie Troxel, and multiple Olympic gold medalist swimmer Amy Van Dyken.
Awards are presented among a diverse range of sports, such as high school and college basketball, soccer, volleyball, swimmers, field hockey, and lacrosse, as well as special categories for courage, dedication, career, and achievement. The program ends with the presentation of the Sportswoman of the Year.
The Awards Banquet will be held on March 8th at the Marriott Denver Tech Center. 4900 South Syracuse in Denver. Tickets and information are available by contacting Joan Birkland at the Sportswomen of Colorado foundation, telephone 303-331-0376, or e-mail jbirkland@USGA.org.
Additional information is also available from Boulder Wave, Inc., (www.boulderwave.com), Constantina Dita’s management firm at 303-554-0597 or e-mail boulderwave@comcast.net
Accompanying photograph is of Constantina Dita receiving the 2008 National Award for Sport in her native Romania in ceremonies on January 31, 2009.
