A PERFECT 10 FOR PILOT STEVE COLE...

Trey Garman / 06.09.2010

After 10 years of racing in the XTERRA USA Championship Series, only one man has been able to win his regional championship in every season.
Steve Cole (pictured), a pilot from Olive Branch, Mississippi, was the best age group racer in the South Central’s 45-49 division from 2001 to 2005, and has won the SC 50-54 division every year since.

“I have been lucky enough to stay relatively injury free, fortunate to have good results at key races and most importantly, I still enjoy the heck out of XTERRA style events,” said Cole, who won the 45-49 XTERRA World Championship in 2008.

Cole was one of the torchbearers for the 2002 Olympic games in Salt Lake City, and has been carrying the XTERRA flame for more than a decade now.

“Ever since I was young, I have always tried to see new places, try new adventures and meet new people,” said Cole. “In high school and college it was through competitive tennis. I joined the Navy to see the world as a Naval Aviator and traveled extensively throughout South America and Europe and the Caribbean. As an airline pilot for Eastern Airlines and Northwest Airlines I have included the Far East and Africa in my ventures. Whether it is a triathlon in Maui, an adventure race in Nevada or a coast to coast mountain bike race in Costa Rica, if there is an event in a new environment that I am able to fit into my schedule, I’m there! I particularly enjoy the XTERRA series because I can load up the camper, wife and dogs and travel throughout the USA to various new sites and see other parts of the country.”

Cole did five XTERRA races this season including the Epic in Ruston, Louisiana; the Red River in Ardmore, Oklahoma; the South Central Champs in Pelham, Alabama; Whitewater in Charlotte, North Carolina; and Camp Eagle in Rock Springs, Texas.