We rarely use space on this blog to give props to individuals on the Trulia team…especially when it’s unrelated to the world of real estate Web 2.0. Well, enough is enough and in light of the Bionic Woman gracing our TV sets tonight, I thought I’d write a brief tribute to one of our own…
You may know Sami Inkinen as the enthusiastic Trulia evangelist, appearing at conferences around the country trying to convince agents and brokers that marketing their listings on Trulia is a no-brainer for their clients, and that advertising on the site will provide a greater ROI than plastering a logo and smiling face on a shopping cart. He does this job with passion and intensity, and we heart him for it.
But there is another side of our Finnish co-founder worth noting. It’s the Sami Inkinen that is the bionic man. A guy that not only participates in triathlons, but actually wins them (I had no idea that people actually “won” these things until I met Sami, did you?).
On July 22nd, Sami joined fellow Trulian’s Alejandro and Dan in the competitive Vineman Half-Ironman triathlon. Sami finished in a total time of 4h13m, where he was also given a spot in the coveted Kona Ironman World Championship. If you are like me and you have no idea what that means, you not only have to be INVITED to this race, but then once you are let in they force you to do a 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride and 26.2 mile run (um yes, that is a full marathon). I’d rather hang by my finger nails off the golden gate bridge, but that’s just me.
And this past weekend, he nearly lost his fingers while racing in, and WINNING, the XTERRA Nevada off-road triathlon on a cold and snow covered morning in Incline Village, Nevada. Apparently, he didn’t wear gloves (Sami, I can have a talk with Pete if you need a pay increase…just let me know). He finished nearly 10 minutes ahead of the runner-up with an impressive 2:33:04 time.
Sami, Congrats and good luck on the Ironman Championships in two weeks. I know I for one will be watching the race from my couch digesting my breakfast of crispy bacon, eggs, potato and toast (buttered, of course) when you cross the finish line!
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October 3rd, 2007 at 11:02 am
Go Sami Go!!! Congrats.
October 3rd, 2007 at 11:07 am
Wow, congratulations! That is amazing : )
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:18 pm
Sami, thanks for running these triathlon’s for me, it really is a time saver!
I’ll be enjoying a healthy burger and fries as I watch you kick butt on the world stage! GO SAMI!!
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:28 pm
Congrats! Impressive, but if you ever want to participate in a real Triathlon (what your doing is child’s play), let me know, and I’ll give you a run for your money.
October 3rd, 2007 at 12:35 pm
“Go Sami Go” is right!!! Well done Sir. Having someone on the team at Trulia that has that kind of drive and determination is a huge asset.
I’m with Pierre………I take Thousand Island with my fries!!!
October 3rd, 2007 at 4:27 pm
Very impressive indeed, but shouldn’t you Trulia marker men be focused on competing against Zillow, now that they have more money?
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:33 pm
That is completely impressive. Sami gets it done!
Are you sure about a 4h13m total time? At a 2 hour world record marathon pace, he road his bike and swam about about 60mph to complete the bike and swim. I don’t Sami could do that but… Sorry, i can’t help it.
October 3rd, 2007 at 11:30 pm
Awesome Sami!
Extremely impressed that you have qualified to Hawaii.
I guess we share the same dreams;
1. make the real estate industry more efficient using the web
2. to ran down the Alii Drive with a smile on our faces
Sometimes I believe one needs the stamina for the latter to reach the former…
Keep up the good work and enjoy the challenge in two weeks!
October 5th, 2007 at 3:39 pm
jonathan - you’re just jealous…
And PS, that was the Vineman Half-Ironman triathlon, not full-Ironman!
October 12th, 2007 at 9:18 am
“Go, Sami, go!” …Se vaan vaikuttaa niin paljon pliisummalta kuin: “Anna mennä, PERKELE!” Joka tapauksessa on hyvä tietää, että rapakon toiselta puolelta löytyy tst-pari, jolla pää ja kroppa kestää. The Americans may trust in God - I trust in you.
October 13th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
Simply mesmerized watching this live feed, as Sami powers in to 40th place entering the 2nd leg of the run! Incredible.
Go Sami Go!!!
January 17th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Sami, I wish you luck and sure that you will win this competition