'They really care'

COEUR d'ALENE - When Connie Price came out of a chilly Lake Coeur d'Alene following a 2.4-mile swim Sunday in the Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene, she was "freezing cold."

That's when swarms of volunteers stepped in as the Hayden woman made the switch from wetsuit to bike outfit.

"When you can't dress yourself, they dress you," she said Monday.

That was just the first time volunteers would do what they could to get Price and more than 2,000 others to the finish line.

"When you're not thinking to grab a water, they remind you need it," she said. "They cheer you on, they really care."

They made the day as Price completed the 140.6-mile swim, bike and run in 15 hours, 57 minutes.

"When you're feeling like you want to quit, they keep you going," she said.

The role of the more than 3,000 volunteers was honored Monday night during a banquet that included dinner, prizes and plenty of praise. They marked bodies with numbers and ages, they handed out pop and pretzels, they monitored traffic on the bike course and they cleaned up when it was over.

Matt Fuller was recognized as volunteer of the year.

The race, organizers said, couldn't happen without them.

"There's really no other adjective you can use other than fantastic," race director Mac Cavasar said of the volunteers.

For the ninth straight year, men, women and children gave much of their day to Ironman - for free.

"It's an indicator of how sound and good our community is," he said.

Joe Crosgrove of Coeur d'Alene and his family worked at water station No. 6 on the Centennial Trail. It was his second year volunteering.

"People are wonderful to talk to, and it's great just being able to encourage them," he said. "They're all so appreciative. It's an amazing feeling."

Kim Murdoch, owner of the Coeur d'Alene Paddleboard Company on Sherman Avenue, spent about five hours on the lake as a volunteer on a paddleboard. Her day started by 2:30 a.m., and she was on the water by 5.

When the starting cannon blasted at 7, a few thousand swimmers came her way.

"It was amazing. It was absolutely incredible," she said.

Murdoch helped guide lost swimmers toward the buoys and calmed those who were panicking in the 55-degree water. As they clung to the paddleboard, Murdoch told them to rest and relax.

Then, she had a little more pointed advice.

"Get going, quit resting. You can do it."

And they did.

Crosgrove recommends others volunteer for Ironman if they haven't.

"It's not about what you get," he said. "It's about giving."