A Legacy of Health and Hope
The Story of the James O’Rourke Memorial Triathlon

By Trudy Merritt

The sport of triathlon is like a story. It is an epic tale of change, of sacrifice, of enduring heroes, of victories and defeats. It is the story of personal struggle, not against outside foes, but against inner ones, and more than anything else, it is a metaphor for the deep longings and aspirations of the human spirit. This is a story about a triathlon, and while it begins as a story of the loss of one hero, it ends with the triumph of hundreds of others. It is the story of an idea whose time had come, and how one idea can change a community.

Judge James O’Rourke was born and raised in North Platte, Nebraska. He served as deputy county attorney and county attorney for Dawson County, and returned to North Platte in the post of county judge for Lincoln County as one of the youngest people in Nebraska ever appointed to a 
judgeship. He served his community, his church, and along with his wife, Jami, was busy raising three amazing children, Emily, Adam and Katelyn. Jim was also an athlete, leading a physically active life and teaching his children to do the same. Like Tennyson’s Ulysses, he would have understood, “How dull it is to pause, to make an end, to rush unburnished, not to shine in use.” Jim chose “to shine in use” by training for the Spring Muscle Stretcher Triathlon in North Platte in the spring of 1991. The judge’s disciplined training is the stuff of legends, and anyone who has ever dedicated himself or herself to a goal, to an aspiration to achieve something extraordinary, knows the heart of Jim O’Rourke. It was his heart, however, his physical one, that closes this chapter with sadness. Judge James O’Rourke died during the running portion of his first triathlon of sudden cardiac arrest as the result of genetically-linked heart disease. A community leader, husband, father, and athlete were gone, like the fallen hero in a long-ago saga of struggle and loss. There were no triathlons held in North Platte for the next eleven years. Jim’s death, however, was not in vain, and through his and his family’s legacy of hard work, dedication and physical activity, his memory continues to touch the lives of the people in his community. 

I never met Judge O’Rourke, but I think we would have understood each other. I knew that his wife and children continued to shine his light in our community, and that they were a tribute to that life. Like many noble tales, his story stayed tucked away until the time was right for it to be told. That time came in the fall of 2001 when community members from North Platte gathered together to create a health and fitness initiative to promote healthy living for its citizens. “Healthy For Life” community wellness program was born from a desire to help everyone learn about and understand the choices necessary for healthy living. One of the best gifts of health we had to offer our citizens was a reason to get moving and stay moving; some type of special event to use as a goal to keep exercising and eating well. More than that, maybe, we needed to find a way to change the hearts, both literally and figuratively, of our neighbors, to help them understand that a real quality of life can be found in healthy and active living. We wanted everyone to know that a healthy citizenry is good for us all. My mission was to find that motivation.

I had to find something attainable for everyone, something significant to be a part of, something that would exercise the body, challenge the mind, and strengthen the spirit. Judge O’Rourke’s story was that something. The inaugural James O’Rourke Memorial Triathlon was held April 28, 2002. It was a community event to celebrate all ages and abilities, and 100 people became the heroes in their own stories that day. The work they had done to get to the starting line, the changes they braved, and the determination they showed began a wave that has no end. The medical community in North Platte became the wind without which there could be no wave. Doctors and nurses came out of their offices and participated, along with their families. They offered financial support. They lived what they preached. The second year, over 200 hundred people crossed the finish line with more triumphant stories to tell. On April 25, 2004, NebraskaLand National Bank sponsored the 3rd Annual James O’Rourke Memorial Triathlon held each year at the North Platte Rec Center. Judge O’Rourke’s legacy will continue to change the health and the heart of our community.

The inaugural NebraskaLand National Bank James O’Rourke Memorial Triathlon was held in North Platte in April 2002. In 2002, there were a total of 118 participants, 102 adults and 16 kids. The second year saw nice growth and included a total of 189 participants, 129 adults and a significant jump to 53 kids. The triathlon continued manageable growth for 2004, with 213 total participants, 160 adults and 53 kids. This year saw the addition of a separate triathlon for children, the “Tinker Triathlon”, a non-competitive event that includes distances for children 6 & under, 7-10, and 11-14. In 2005, the triathlons saw their most significant growth, going from 213 in 2004 to 331 in 2005, including 218 adults and 113 children, with 8 states represented. There were 340 participants in 2006 and in 2008 it became a 3 day event with over 400 participants. The O’Rourke Triathlon continues to enjoy strong and consistent participation.

The triathlon has always included several special events, including a heart-health clinic and dinner the Saturday night of the weekend to provide education and insight for participants about heart care issues and the role a healthy lifestyle plays in cardiac health. A new group swim workout with personalized coaching for more experienced triathletes or novices with strong swimming skills begins in 2011 called Tri-Masters. A triathlon training class, called Tri-101, is offered weekly for 12 weeks prior to the triathlon to help prepare novices for the event. This year, 2011, will be the sixth year that the triathlon will be a Team in Training event, allowing athletes to train and participate to raise funds for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of America. Team in Training is the world’s largest endurance sport training program, and raises millions and millions of dollars for LLSA. The triathlon was featured in the North Platte Traveler in 2004, in 2005 received the Nebraska Park and Recreation Association’s Benefits are Endless Programming Award and the Midwest Park and Recreation Program Award and in 2008, the triathlon received a mention in the February 2008 issue of Triathlete Magazine.

The triathlon unites and challenges the community, provides a goal and motivation for people to work toward in trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle, and is unique in its emphasis on participation, inclusion, and fitness. Both beginners and experienced triathletes feel at home. From its humble beginnings with just over 100 participants to over 400 its ninth year, the triathlon has become a celebrated April event in western Nebraska.
        

Judge James O'Rourke
Jim was born and raised in North Platte, Nebraska and attended school in the North Platte Public Schools. He was involved in a variety of organizations in school and as a teenager enjoyed helping his dad on the family farm. After graduation Jim attended and graduated from Mid-Plains Community College. During this time Jim worked for the Union Pacific Railroad and also worked summers there through the rest of college and law school. After graduation from Mid-Plains Community College in North Platte, Jim earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and a law degree from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln.

Subsequently, he was deputy county attorney for Dawson County from 1980 to 1982. After that he practiced law with a private law firm in Lexington. In 1986 he became the Dawson County Attorney, a post he held until 1989 when he returned to North Platte. His return to North Platte was prompted by an appointment by then-Governor of Nebraska Kay Orr to the post of county judge in Lincoln County. His appointment, he had said was “a wonderful opportunity for me to come home.” He was at that time one of the youngest people in Nebraska to be appointed to be a judge. Jim loved his work, the people that he came in contact with, and felt “honored and humbled” to serve on the bench. He continued this position until his death in 1991.

Jim was a member of the Nebraska State Bar Association and Nebraska County Judges’ Association. He was a member of several civic groups and was an active church and choir member at Bethel Evangelical Free Church in North Platte.
 
Jim married Jami Petersen in Stromsburg, Nebraska in 1979. To their marriage three children were born; Emily, Adam, and Katelyn. Jim was very involved with his children. While the children were small he would take them with him on his numerous trips to the Lexington Racquetball Club. He thoroughly enjoyed their company and was a very proud father. 

Jim enjoyed “working out.” Through the years he had played basketball, tennis, softball, racquetball, lifted weights, and biked. He had played men’s softball in North Platte, intramurals throughout college, and church league as an adult. Jim would ride his bike to class as a student and even as a judge frequently rode it to work. He also enjoyed fishing with the “kids” or hunting with his friends.

In 1994 Jim received the Mid-Plains Community College Area Distinguished Alumni Award presented by the Nebraska Community College Association.

The importance of faith in Jim’s life is expressed in these Bible verses read at his funeral. “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.” (II Timothy 4:7-8) The outpouring of cards, messages, and memorials by the community at the time of his death was a wonderful tribute to Jim’s life. 

Emily is a 2003 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) with a Bachelor’s of Journalism in Advertising/Public Relations. She is currently working at Mid-Plains Community College as a recruiter. Emily’s husband, Brock Wurl, is a graduate of Nebraska Wesleyan University and the University of Nebraska Law College. In the summer of 2010, he passed the bar exam and in the fall, began working as an attorney with the law firm of Norman, Paloucek & Herman in North Platte. Adam is a 2007 graduate of UNL and will graduate from the University of Nebraska Law College in May 2011. He has also been working at the law firm of Welsh & Welsh in Omaha. Katelyn graduated in 2010 from UNL with a Bachelor’s of Journalism in Advertising and an emphasis in Marketing and a minor in Spanish. She moved to Texas in August 2010 to begin working at Pine Cove Christian Camps as a Guest Services Coordinator. Jami married Mark Mendenhall in 2000. Jami is a second grade teacher in the North Platte Public School District. Mark is an insurance agent for Farm Bureau Financial Services.

We would like to thank all of you for your participation in the James O’Rourke Memorial Triathlon. We appreciate the interest and support of so many in our community.