Honoring Outstanding Buffs
CU Boulder’s Alumni Awards celebrate the university’s most inspiring leaders and changemakers.
Dave Sheanin guides individuals with disabilities in triathlons.
Dave Sheanin (MBA’99), receiving the Alumni Recognition Award this spring, is among the next slate of standout Forever Buffs.
A longtime coach for the University of Colorado Triathlon Team, Sheanin helped lead the team to seven consecutive combined and 15 individual national championships. In 2021, he was named the USA Triathlon Community Impact Coach of the Year. Whether working with elite athletes or teaching beginners to swim, his inspiration comes from the students.
“I fell in love with the students’ spirit and enthusiasm,” said Sheanin. “I love seeing young people reach their potential.”
Outside of the university, he volunteers with Athletes in Tandem, guiding individuals with disabilities in triathlon competitions.
“Helping athletes with disabilities experience the same racecourse as the elite competitors has been one of the most meaningful parts of my journey,” he said.
Even with his many contributions and successes, he remains humble.
“I feel like I get back more than I give,” he said. “I’m built to want to make an impact; that’s the kind of life I want to lead.”
Sheanin’s story joins the larger history of alumni impact across generations. Eight other outstanding alumni, faculty, staff and students will be recognized at the Alumni Awards Ceremony as part of Alumni Weekend, April 10–13, 2026. (The event previously was held during Homecoming Weekend.)
The winners include Susan Taylor Mayne (Chem’82) for the George Norlin Award, Russell L. Moore and David Martinez for the Robert L. Stearns Award, Dave Sheanin (MBA’99) for the Alumni Recognition Award, Stephen Kissler (ApMath’14; MA’14) for the Kalpana Chawla Outstanding Recent Graduate Award, Dale Farrand (AeroEngr’93) for the Leanne Skupa-Lee Award, and Camden Dempsey (Fin, Mktg’25) and Aaditya Pore (AeroEngr, CompSci’25) for the Forever Buffs Student Award.
Award honorees represent the breadth of Buffs excellence, and, for many, CU is at the heart of their stories.
Learn more at colorado.edu/alumni/awards.
Photo courtesy Dave Sheanin