FEATURED EMPLOYEE: Meet Brian Rismiller, PS – Senior Project Manager, Ironman
For Brian Rismiller, patience is more than a virtue: it’s a way of life. His aptitude for persistence is a valuable skillset both in his professional life, as senior project manager in V3’s land survey division, and a critical quality of an elite athlete.
“I got into surveying out of high school,” said Brian. “I was lucky to start out working for small engineering firms. There weren’t many specialized people, which meant everyone had the opportunity to work on every project that came in the door. When a person can know a little bit about the whole project it benefits everyone. It’s good to know how things work, I’m a big believer in that.”
Brian knows that the word surveyor often conjures up images of people holding a stick in the middle of the road or standing behind a tripod. And while he spent some time right after high school doing just that, the rest of his career has been spent in the office working with people and guiding projects to completion on time and on budget. Or, as he describes it to family and friends, making maps and measuring dirt.
“You need a lot of patience in this line of work,” said Brian. “People that are new to the profession don’t always understand that it’s not an exact science. Surveying is a puzzle that was created by a lot of people over many years. Our job is to recreate that history.”
Brian’s patience and determination is certainly evident in the workplace … but it’s in the wee hours of the morning that his capacity for grit and perseverance is on full display.
“I started doing triathlons in 2009,” said Brian. “A friend and mentor of mine showed me the sport. I was never a runner, and couldn’t swim, but I always had a bike. I was determined to master it. There was a local swim coach at the high school that agreed to take me on as an adult student. It took six weeks to figure out swimming, and I entered my first sprint triathlon after that.”
To date, Brian has competed in 6 half triathlons and 9 full Ironman races. He is now within striking distance of joining the illustrious Ironman Legacy Program, which allows triathletes that have completed 12 full Ironmans to qualify for the biggest gauntlet of them all: Kona, Hawaii.
“I’m drawn to triathlon because it’s self-disciplined and the comradery is incredible,” said Brian. “I’ve met a lot of good people over the years, I’ve been on a few teams, and I try to work for a cause or charity mission like Back on My Feet. I train virtually every day; nobody cares what you do at 4:30 in the morning.”
“My daughters are both athletes, one played soccer and the other tennis. My claim to fame is that all three of us did a sprint triathlon together in my early days, when they were young. As the dad I was on top of the world.”
It’s evident that Brian doesn’t shy away from hard work, whether it’s at the office, at home, or on race day. He is the type of teammate everyone could use in their corner.
