Mitch Thrower | Bio
Living life like a shooting star
Title: Gatsby
Gender: Male
Age: Ageless
Location: La Jolla, CA United States
About Me:
Mitch Thrower (Frederick Mitchell Thrower, III). (January 16, 1968 – ) often referred to as Gatsby or IRONMITCH, is an American, philanthropist, triathlete, journalist, financier and publisher. Born in Doctor’s Hospital in New York City, he is the son of the late Frederick Mitchell Thrower II, the President of WPIX-TV in New York (Channel 11) and Lori Thrower, who was one of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis assistants and often commuted with Jacqueline Kennedy to and from work. He is the younger brother of half-sister Wendy Thrower and he was the younger brother to the deceased Stacey Thrower.
Early life
Born when his father served as president of the Independent TV Station WPIX, Mitch Thrower (Frederick Mitchell Thrower III) was surrounded by media and the birth of many of the early innovations in the world of Television. He lived for the first ten years of his life in Dobbs Ferry, New York, before his family moved to Westport, CT, and then later, Greenfield Hill, Connecticut. His father Fred Thrower was the creator of the Yule Log on WPIX-TV. The WPIX Yule Log the famous and iconic image of the 1960s - a holiday presentation of a fireplace and music on television. Many people view the Yule Log as the very first Music Video. Prior to his time at WPIX, Thrower’s father was the Vice President of Sales for NBC.
Education
Mitch Thrower attended Staples High School in Westport, CT and was a star Lacrosse goalie. He the attended St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York for his 4 years of undergraduate education, spending a summer studying strategy at Yale University, graduating from St. Lawrence University in 1990 with a bachelor's degree in Philosophy. At Saint Lawrence University, Thrower was a member of Sigma Chi. He was also the president of his debating team. He competed in the World Championships of Parliamentary Debate in 1989 and 1990. In 1995 and 1996 he attended the UCSD to study math and economics. In 2001, he earned a M.B.A.) degree from the University of San Diego.
Author
Mitch Thrower is the Author of “The Attention Deficit Workplace: Winning Strategies for Success in Today’s Fast-Paced Business Environment,” published by Lyons Press and is the author of the popular monthly column, “Starting Lines” in Triathlete Magazine, and the Ironmitch.com blog. He is also the author of a weekly column for BizSanDiego Magazine. He was also the co-author of the travel guide The Passport which, for several years was distributed to 50,000 college students before traveling abroad each year.
TV and Movies
In 2005, Mitch Thrower was featured and profiled on the TV show Fantasy Camp on The Fine Living Network. He is also featured in several montage videos on the Triathlete.tv network. In 2007 Thrower will star in the feature length film by Fluid Motion Pictures, titled “Life’s a Mitch.” Mitch Thrower also appeared as a guest “Gatsby” on the ABC show “The Bachelor: An Officer and a Gentleman.”
Sister’s Death
On June 12, 1982, at the age of 16, his older sister Stacey passed away from a prolonged illness. She died in Mitch Thrower's arms as he was administering CPR.
Direct Quote from Enrico Varella's Interview of Mitch Thrower
"But perhaps the driving force came from the death of my sister Stacey, who passed away at age 16. From that moment, that aching loss fueled my passion for fitness and living healthy. Part of it was not wanting to die, which I think we all share at some level - that fierce desire to stay on this amazing journey called life as long as possible, and be fit enough to really enjoy it.
What did your sister Stacey mean to you?
The more I think about it, the more I can see that she was probably the prime source of my triathlon motivation. Stacey and I were very close and when she got bone cancer at the age of 14, I identified with her struggle intently. The cancer spread to her lungs, ultimately filling them with fluid.
Luckily I was right there and I came running in the door just as she was losing consciousness – she couldn't get any air in her lungs because they were filling up with fluid. This was terrifying. I tried everything I knew and the emergency crews came but none of us were able to revive her. She died in my arms. I was 14 years old. And it had a dramatic impact on my determination to live every day to the fullest and to cherish every single breath. Every day, I'm so thankful that I'm alive.
When you're closely connected to someone, as Stacey and I were, you can see the world through their eyes. While I continued to be active during those two years she was ill and she could not, I felt things from her perspective. When she was heading to the hospital for chemo or coming home suffering with nausea from the chemotherapy, and I was just coming home from running track in junior high, I could sense her joy for me and her sadness that her gift of movement, that joy, was taken from her.
Because this was my sister, I could feel this in my soul and it multiplied my understanding how important and vital these simple, lovely pleasures of running, swimming, riding and breathing that children happily take for granted."
Knee Surgeries and Triathlon
On February 12, 1989, Thrower was injured on the ice while in college and had the first of 4 complicated knee surgeries (two on each knee) which successfully repaired damage to the bone and cartilage in both knees. In 1990 Thrower Started running again. In 1993 he started to pursue triathlons. Thrower placed in his age group in several triathlons and has participated 15 Ironman Triathlons including 10 Ironman World Championships in Hawaii.
See also
Things Mitch Loves
Interests:
- Writing
- Reading
- Entrepreneurship
- Triathlons
- Adventure
- Treasure Hunting
- Discovering Laughter
- A great conversation with an inspired soul
- BEING PRESENT
- Gaining Greater Awareness
Heroes:
- My father
- JFK
- Jesus
- Churchill
- Mandella
Teachers:
- Kant
- Robbins
- Johnson
- Jockers
- Bradbury
- Shaw
Books:
Music:
Movies:
- The Big Blue
- Narnia
- Garden State
