Barbara Warren
Encyclopedia
Barbara Warren was an Austria
n-American
counselor, model
, actress, and triathlete.
, Austria
to Hans and Ingrid Mueller, she and her identical twin sister, Angelika Drake, left their farmhouse at 14 for high school in Innsbruck and then, at age 17, went on to study art history at the Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze
in Florence, Italy. They took occasional modeling work before moving to Mexico City
in 1965, where they began modeling fulltime, eventually opening a school, agency and design boutique. Barbara began performing under the stage name
Barbara Angely, abruptly ending that career out of dissatisfaction with a jet-set lifestyle. Barbara eventually married importer Armando Alvarez, which led to a four-year separation from her sister.
Her family moved to Brownsville, Texas
in 1980. In 1983, Barbara began running recreationally. By 1985, Angelika and her family had moved to San Diego, California
. Barbara, with her family, followed her sister, relocating to San Diego later that same year.
Calling themselves "The Twin Team," the sisters began participating in a number of endurance sports, including their first standard triathlon
in 1987 and their first Ironman Triathlon
in 1988. All told, Barbara completed 13 Ford Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii, winning her age group in the 2003 Ironman Kona. Warren and her sister were profiled in Reckless: The Outrageous Lives of Nine Kick-Ass Women.
In the early 1990s, she met triathlete Tom Warren, who won the second Ironman competition in 1979, and the two married in 1995.
and the cervical vertebra 2
and was diagnosed as paralyzed
from a bicycle crash that happened on a descent during the Santa Barbara, California
, triathlon. She was put on life support at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital
. According to what her family told the San Diego Union-Tribune, she communicated through blinking that she wanted her ventilator turned off, and, at the request of the family, a doctor removed her ventilator on August 26.
The Santa Barbara Triathlon's Barbara Warren Community Spirit Award is named in her honor.
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
counselor, model
Model (person)
A model , sometimes called a mannequin, is a person who is employed to display, advertise and promote commercial products or to serve as a subject of works of art....
, actress, and triathlete.
Life and career
Born Barbara Mueller in St. Johann in TirolSt. Johann in Tirol
-History:St. Johann is situated in the Leukental, which extends from Jochberg to the Streichen close to the Bavarian border. This region was already settled in the 4th century BC by a Celtic tribe, the Ambisontiers, who pursued copper mining in the surrounding mountains.In 15 B.C...
, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
to Hans and Ingrid Mueller, she and her identical twin sister, Angelika Drake, left their farmhouse at 14 for high school in Innsbruck and then, at age 17, went on to study art history at the Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze
Accademia di Belle Arti Firenze
The Accademia di Belle Arti is an art academy in Florence, Italy and it is now the operative branch of the still existing Accademia delle Arti del Disegno that was the first academy of drawing in Europe.-History:The Accademia delle Arti del Disegno The Accademia di Belle Arti ("Academy of Fine...
in Florence, Italy. They took occasional modeling work before moving to Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
in 1965, where they began modeling fulltime, eventually opening a school, agency and design boutique. Barbara began performing under the stage name
Stage name
A stage name, also called a showbiz name or screen name, is a pseudonym used by performers and entertainers such as actors, wrestlers, comedians, and musicians.-Motivation to use a stage name:...
Barbara Angely, abruptly ending that career out of dissatisfaction with a jet-set lifestyle. Barbara eventually married importer Armando Alvarez, which led to a four-year separation from her sister.
Her family moved to Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
in 1980. In 1983, Barbara began running recreationally. By 1985, Angelika and her family had moved to San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. Barbara, with her family, followed her sister, relocating to San Diego later that same year.
Calling themselves "The Twin Team," the sisters began participating in a number of endurance sports, including their first standard triathlon
Triathlon
A triathlon is a multi-sport event involving the completion of three continuous and sequential endurance events. While many variations of the sport exist, triathlon, in its most popular form, involves swimming, cycling, and running in immediate succession over various distances...
in 1987 and their first Ironman Triathlon
Ironman Triathlon
An Ironman Triathlon is one of a series of long-distance triathlon races organized by the World Triathlon Corporation consisting of a swim, a bike and a marathon run, raced in that order and without a break...
in 1988. All told, Barbara completed 13 Ford Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii, winning her age group in the 2003 Ironman Kona. Warren and her sister were profiled in Reckless: The Outrageous Lives of Nine Kick-Ass Women.
In the early 1990s, she met triathlete Tom Warren, who won the second Ironman competition in 1979, and the two married in 1995.
Death
On Saturday, August 23, 2008, Warren broke her odontoid processDens (anatomy)
The dens is a protuberance of the axis . It exhibits a slight constriction or neck, where it joins the main body of the vertebra...
and the cervical vertebra 2
Axis (anatomy)
In anatomy, the second cervical vertebra of the spine is named the axis or epistropheus.It forms the pivot upon which the first cervical vertebra , which carries the head, rotates....
and was diagnosed as paralyzed
Paralysis
Paralysis is loss of muscle function for one or more muscles. Paralysis can be accompanied by a loss of feeling in the affected area if there is sensory damage as well as motor. A study conducted by the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, suggests that about 1 in 50 people have been diagnosed...
from a bicycle crash that happened on a descent during the Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara, California
Santa Barbara is the county seat of Santa Barbara County, California, United States. Situated on an east-west trending section of coastline, the longest such section on the West Coast of the United States, the city lies between the steeply-rising Santa Ynez Mountains and the Pacific Ocean...
, triathlon. She was put on life support at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital
Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital is a hospital in the city of Santa Barbara, California. It is owned and operated by Cottage Health System.It is the only Level II trauma center between Los Angeles and the Bay Area on coastal California...
. According to what her family told the San Diego Union-Tribune, she communicated through blinking that she wanted her ventilator turned off, and, at the request of the family, a doctor removed her ventilator on August 26.
The Santa Barbara Triathlon's Barbara Warren Community Spirit Award is named in her honor.
External links
- The Twin Team official site
- Barbara Warren: A reminiscence via IronMan.com