As Sun Devil Triathlon Makes History, Dave Alexander Keeps Sun Devils Reaching New Heights

Dave Alexander completed his first triathlon in 1982. That triumph – and his next few races – came during a complicated time for him off the course, as he was dealing with difficult business decisions.
 
Alexander gradually realized that if he could finish triathlons, he could do anything he set his mind to both inside and outside of the sport. That philosophy not only enabled him to race in 287 triathlons in 37 countries, but also helped him build Caljet into the largest independent motor fuels terminal in the southwestern United States.
 
While Alexander – Caljet's founder and managing member, as well as the President of The Jet Companies, Inc. – no longer competes in triathlons, he is focused on growing the sport, especially on the collegiate level. This is a key reason why he has been a crucial donor to the women's triathlon program at Arizona State University (ASU), which won its seventh consecutive national championship in November.
 
"I hope to get a lot of people doing what I'm doing," Alexander said. "I can't do everything, but I'm doing all that I can. I have given donations to programs that I am going to keep fostering … It's such a great sport. It's done so much for me as a human and I want to help other people have the same experience."
 
Alexander, who is driven by "always doing your best" no matter the circumstances, is a unique donor to the sport, according to ASU Assistant Athletic Director and Director of Major Gifts Maria Mullan. That is because Mullan believes Alexander cares greatly about individual triathletes and their development for life after triathlon.
 
Cliff English, the head coach of ASU's women's triathlon program, shared that Alexander's dedication to the team has helped the Sun Devils acquire key pieces of technology and equipment. These include gravel bicycles and a team trailer to safely transport bikes across the country.
 
"You get more excited about something when you're with a like-minded person," English said. "A lot of my interactions and a lot of my times that I've had dinner with Dave have renewed my own passion for triathlon. I've been in triathlon since I was a teenager and probably over 35 years, so I've been passionate about it. To meet someone else passionate about it, it's infectious and you just build off each other."
 
Mullan mentioned that Alexander's support for ASU has not only helped the squad get a competitive edge, but also improved the experience of the Sun Devils' triathletes. She added that Alexander is "always willing" to hear what English and ASU's triathletes need for them to be successful as both athletes and people.
 
"He genuinely cares about the human aspect of all of this and the life lessons that triathlon can give individuals," Mullan said. "If he can eliminate any barriers for our student-athletes, he almost always will."
 
Alexander, who has donated to different associations and groups to develop triathlon nationwide, occasionally gets to meet with the Sun Devils' triathletes. What makes him "most proud" of the program's members is seeing them develop as both triathletes and people.
 
When deciding what triathlon initiatives to support, Alexander looks closely at how they help both the athletes involved and the overall sport. It can be inferred that ASU has checked both of these boxes for him.
 
"What keeps Dave involved is the concept that he knows and trusts that we here at ASU are creating phenomenal human beings and teaching the girls on the team to do their absolute best," Mullan said. "He's always very upfront about the fact that, 'Yes, the national championships are amazing.' They're such a reflection of pride, but it doesn't mean that his support is going to stop if we don't win one. It's above and beyond that."
 
Women's triathlon, which currently holds emerging sport status from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), is on the path to receiving championship sport designation from the NCAA, since the sport was sponsored by at least 40 programs on the varsity level within 10 years of triathlon earning emerging sport status across all three division levels. ASU became the first Power Five university to add women's triathlon and is now one of three Power Five institutions with the sport, alongside Texas Christian University and the University of Arizona.
 
The Alexanders have founded the TriDave Legacy Trust, which includes in its mission support for women's triathlon becoming an NCAA championship sport.  As Alexander explains, "I'm not out there racing every day, but the love is still in my heart.  That's why I'm helping, and encouraging others, to help cause women's triathlon to become an NCAA-recognized championship sport.  I want our young women to have the chance to compete at this highest level, just as I got to compete and have great experiences around the world."
 
Alexander's triathlon career – which spanned nearly three decades – has been documented by publications such as The New York Times and Triathlete Magazine. He is now focused on securing the sport's future, while also giving back to causes outside triathlon by supporting the Summit Bechtel Reserve in West Virginia and the Dave Alexander Center for Social Capital.
 
With ASU's women's triathlon program preparing for the 2024 season, Alexander believes its student-athletes are situated perfectly because one can train year-round in Tempe. He is excited to see their growth in the coming years, along with triathlon's rise as a college sport.
 
"I'm seeing other people's drive and I want to help them get to where they want to be to enjoy experiences and meet people all over the world that have the same joy and passion," Alexander said. "It's something that's very special to me."