Gerry Rott, the ever-passionate, tireless leader, founder and race director of the popular Lavaman Waikoloa Olympic Distance Triathlon and LavaKids events, passed away Oct. 21 at home surrounded by family and friends. She was 74 years old.
Rott lived a vibrant life for the 47 years she resided in Kona, with an ever-burning desire to help the community live a healthier and active lifestyle. She quickly etched her name into the history books as a triathlon great — perhaps not as an athlete — but for giving her heart and soul to organizing 23 Lavaman Waikoloa Olympic Distance Triathlons, five Lavaman Keauhou Triathlons, and along the way, inspiring and touching the lives of tens of thousands from around the globe.
One of her most cherished accomplishments was the creation and expansion of LavaKids — the youth branch of Lavaman — where she helped to launch hundreds of Keiki into the sport through her LavaKids Youth Aquathlon, LavaKids Family Fun Runs, LavaKids Pea Wee Biathlon, and numerous other events and clubs that help Keiki be fit and active year-round.
“We want kids to take control of their own health,” Rott said in a previous WHT interview. “Many kids have become sedentary and unfit, leading to a lack of self-image, among other health issues. There is a great need for programs that can inspire kids to take their health and fitness into their own hands and motivate them to stay active and reap the benefits of an active and healthy lifestyle. Positive self-image will help kids not only through their school years, but their entire lives.”
Rott was born in Los Angeles and raised in Orange County, California. She attended the University of California San Diego where she met her husband, Nick Rott. The Rotts moved to Kona in 1975 with their 1-year-old son, Tyson, to help Gerry’s parents run their Marine shop called B&L Marine. Three years later, they had their daughter, Erin.
Gerry began working in real estate for Gold Coast Realty while Nick took over B&L and turned it into B&L Bike and Sports. In 1987, Gerry started her own real estate company, Gerry Rott & Associates, and continued in real estate until her passing where she was a broker in charge at NextHome Paradise Realty.
However, on a simple training ride in 1994, Nick Rott, was tragically hit by a car. In honor of his memory and the love Nick had for the sports community, Gerry created the Lavaman Waikoloa Olympic Distance Triathlon in 1998.
That year, 83 competitors gathered along the sandy beach of Anaehoomalu Bay, ready to take on the 1.5K swim, 40K bike, and 10K run — the newest Olympic Distance event on the circuit.
“It was a beautiful day, it was like it was a party,” Rott said in a previous interview. “It was mostly local athletes, and there were probably maybe fifteen athletes from Oahu who were mostly cyclists, but the rest were all from the Big Island. It was a very low-key triathlon but it had all of the elements of a high-quality race.”
Rott explained that the idea to create a triathlon event came after a Japanese tour group first approached her to organize a Century Ride for 400 Japanese tourists on the Big Island. After seeing success from the Century Ride, the same Japanese tour group asked Rott to organize a triathlon race and to call it, The Big Island Triathlon.
“That’s when I went out to the Hilton and talked with Dieter Sieger, who was the general manager there and also a triathlete himself, and he helped me to put together the whole thing in 1998,” Rott said. “Then the Japanese economy fell apart which caused them to cancel about five weeks before the race. We had all the arrangements made, all of the permits, the course laid out — basically everything done.
“I went to Dieter to tell him that it wasn’t going to happen and he said, ‘Let’s just do it as a local race.’ So, we did and had 83 people. The Hilton was such a great venue and that first year, everybody loved it so much. They said to me, ‘Let’s do it again,’ and Dieter was willing, so the next year we did it again.”
With the Japanese tour group completely out of the picture, Rott said she wanted to come up with her own name before the inaugural event. After tossing around ideas, the name “Lavaman” fit perfectly and it has been since called the Lavaman Waikoloa Olympic Distance Triathlon.
Labeled the “Best Party in Triathlon,” the race has grown into an immensely popular-bucket list event, selling out its 1,800 spots in just a few weeks. Many competitors return year after year which is a true testament of Rott’s efforts to keeping her event well-grounded as a quality community race benefitting local charity organizations and youth groups around the island.
“This is what Lavaman is all about,” Rott said. “I am a community person, and through Lavaman I can give back to the community. It’s natural because it sets a good example for my style and I like getting the kids and families involved.”
The West Hawaii Associations of Realtors wrote of Rott, “Over the years, Gerry served as a director or officer on many community and non-profit boards including Kailua Village Design Commission, Hawaii Leeward Planning Commission, Kona-Kohala Chamber of Commerce, Kona Family YMCA, PATH, and Hospice of Kona. She served for 18 years as the Ironman (World Championship) Finish Line Director, and in 1998, founded the Lavaman Triathlon which celebrated its 23rd anniversary in April this year. LavaKids, with activities for youth to encourage an active and healthy lifestyle, was a subsequent initiative close to Gerry’s heart. As a result of her commitment as a Realtor, as well as Lavaman Race Director, Ironman, and other volunteer involvement, Gerry had a broad range of friends who admired and loved her. Her passing is a tremendous loss to our West Hawaii community.”
Rott loved her family more than anything. She is survived by her son, Tyson Rott (Monica Rott Stone) of Kailua-Kona, her granddaughter Ramona, and daughter, Erin Rott of Los Angeles, California.
The lasting legacy Rott leaves behind and her indelible imprint on the community she loved, is unparalleled. She will forever be remembered and admired as a pillar of our sports community — for devoting her life to helping others make positive changes by living a healthy and active lifestyle; her endless contributions and advocacy to youth groups and schools across the island; and for being a true champion and inspiration to shaping the next generation of community leaders.
Rott’s LavaKids motto, “Kulia I Ka Nu‘u,” which means “Strive to Reach the Highest,” will forever remain in our hearts. Mahalo Gerry!
