Three Pendleton District Women Win California Police Olympics Triathlon

Three women, all residents of San Clemente and representing the Pendleton District of the state parks system, won gold medals at the California Police Olympics which, with more than 4,500 entries, is rated second only behind the international Olympic Games in numbers of participants.

The three are Debbie Friedman, 25, a state lifeguard, and Jill Dampier and Cheryl Wilson, both 29 and both park rangers. The team took first place against 85 other contestants in the women’s triathlon event.

The women work at Doheny, San Clemente and San Onofre state parks and beaches.

“This is the first time anyone from the Pendleton District took part in the games,” Dampier said, “so, of course, we’re the first to win gold medals.”

In their event, Friedman swam one mile in the ocean, Dampier rode a bicycle for 25 miles and Wilson took part in a 10-kilometer run.

The 19th annual games were held in late June at Oxnard. The events are open to all badge-carrying law enforcement officers in the state, and are usually dominated by entries from such large agencies as the Los Angeles Police Department and a number of sheriff’s offices, according to Jerry Spansail, supervising ranger at Doheny State Park in Dana Point.