Peter Read Miller is one of the world’s legendary photographers with over 100 Sports Illustrated covers to his credit. Peter has also shot 9 Olympic Games, 14 NBA Finals, and will soon be shooting his 40th Super Bowl.

What people might not realize is that Peter also shot the second ever Ironman Triathlon on the island of Oahu back in 1979 when there were only 15 starters and 12 finishers. The feature story that appeared in Sports Illustrated that showcased the Ironman and the sport of triathlon helped to put the sport on the map, and the number of entries ballooned from 15 in 1978 and 1979 to 108 in 1980. Among those 108 in 1980 were Dave Scott, Boston Marathon race director Dave McGillivray, and myself.

Peter came on to share his memories from shooting the second ever Ironman. One of my favorite parts of the conversation was when Peter was out in a little neighborhood shooting the eventual winner, Tom Warren, who had also attended USC. “As Tom came by,” Read Miller remembers, “he was whistling the USC fight song. That is something I’ll never forget!”

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