Silverman triathlete to honor Marine captain who died in Afghanistan

By Dylan Scott

Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010 | 1:55 a.m.

Feats of athletic endurance -- which about 800 athletes hope to accomplish at this weekend’s Silverman Triathlon in Henderson -- usually earn accolades and praise for the athlete. After all, those who finish are often dubbed “Iron Man.”

But this weekend, 1st Lt. Ryan Pallas, a Marine, is racing for someone else: a fallen brother-in-arms whose memory Pallas hopes will endure.

During the sixth annual Silverman Nevada Triathlon, athletes will swim 2.4 miles in open water at Lake Las Vegas, bike 112 miles through the Lake Mead National Recreation Area and run a full marathon -- 26.2 miles -- through Henderson neighborhoods on Sunday.

The event, sponsored by Lowery Multi-Sports and the City of Henderson, will feature a one-mile fun run for younger athletes Saturday morning. Registration, which is $20, closes Friday. The school with the most entrants will be awarded a cash donation.

But for Pallas, who is stationed in San Diego, the whole weekend is focused on Capt. Brandon Barrett -- his friend and comrade who was killed in Afghanistan in May. In an effort to preserve Barrett’s legacy, Pallas is asking for help from family, friends and the community to start a scholarship in Barrett’s name.

Pallas needs to raise $50,000. At that point, the U.S. Naval Foundation will open a scholarship in Barrett’s name, providing tuition for those seeking to follow in Barrett’s footsteps at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md.

“Brandon gave all of his tomorrows so we can have our todays,” Pallas said in an open letter to donors, “and this is the least we can do to honor a fallen defender of freedom.”

Barrett, a native of Marion, Ind., and Pallas attended the academy together, but didn’t become close friends until they were both stationed at Camp Lejeune, N.C.

Barrett, Pallas recalled, “was the kind of guy who would give you the shirt off his back ... the minute you said you needed help, Brandon was there to help. He was just that kind of guy.”

The scholarship “embodies” what Barrett’s legacy should be, said Pallas, who competed in his first triathlon earlier this year.

Although being a Marine has its benefits, Pallas said, he’s still wary of the Silverman’s reputation as being among the “most grueling” triathlon courses in the country.