ROBYN’S LEGACY
Champion Territory triathlete loses cancer battle
REVERED Territory triathlete Robyn Stanley has been remembered as the “backbone” of her beloved club.
Ms Stanley died on Friday at the age of 65 after a six-year battle with cancer.
Darwin Triathlon Club secretary Tatiane Kelly described her friend as “the reason the club is what it is”.
“She really pushed for women to become involved with the sport and she was basically the backbone of the club,” she said.
Ms Kelly said aside from Ms Stanley’s success in the sport, the four-time Ironman World Champion was a clubwoman through and through, from organising races to recruiting volunteers and even helping out with the bookkeeping.
“Just recently when she hasn’t been able to do more of the things she did in the past, she was the photographer as well, so she’s done a lot for the club,” she said.
Ms Stanley’s daughter, Jessica, said her mum was a “gifted organiser” who was always generous with her time.
“All through our childhood the home phone rang with timid people wondering if triathlon was for them,” she said.
“Mum helped them take their first steps and checked in on them until they were ready to do it on their own.”
Jessica said her mum’s athletic prowess only grew more impressive with time and she “always finished every race she started”.
“She always cycled for fun but she did not start running until her 30s,” she said.
“By her 40s, she was a determined athlete able to withstand incredibly gruelling training and racing. In her 50s and 60s, she became an Ironman distance athlete.”
Outside of sport, Jessica said her mum was equally cherished for her generous and nurturing nature.
“Her gifts for looking after others made her a coveted babysitter for her Darwin friends’ children and she was cherished and special Nana to her three grandchildren,” she said.
Ms Kelly said it was her friend’s relentless positivity that would be sorely missed by fellow club members.
“She battled cancer for six years, and even through all of that, she was still a very positive person and she persevered with her racing and she was very encouraging of everyone, very welcoming,” she said.
“I think she really brought the club together in that she was always at all the events and she sent the newsletters out to everyone letting everyone know what all the mem- bers were doing. Her drive in sport helped her through cancer and all that treatment.”
Ms Stanley is survived by her husband Daryl, children Jessica and Peter and grandchildren Sunday, Violet and Romilly.