Drawing on Experience: Pro Cyclist T.J. Eisenhart Crafts New IRONMAN Mural

By Marianne Hamilton

When artists attempt to depict athletes in motion, imagination often drives inspiration. For T.J. Eisenhart—who has just put the finishing touches on a brand new mural celebrating the sport of triathlon, its disciplines, and its competitions in the area—inspiration comes from firsthand knowledge.

As a professional cyclist and former “Youngest Rider” winner in the Tour of Utah, Eisenhart is intimately familiar with athletic competition at the highest level. As an artist whose works bring in tens of thousands of dollars, Eisenhart merges explosions of color with underlying messages of positivity. The combination uniquely qualified the Ivins resident to craft the IRONMAN imagery now covering the southern wall of the Hometown Lenders building at 61 North Main Street.

Growing up in Lehi, Utah, Eisenhart always believed his future would be spent on two wheels. On a family trip to Spain at the age of eight, he watched in wonder as Tour de France riders made their way up and over the Pyrenees Mountains. “I was hooked; I knew right then that I wanted to do something with bikes,” he recalled. “When I turned ten, I told my parents I wanted to turn pro. They said, ‘OK, let’s do it.’ They were always massively supportive.”

Though Eisenhart’s parents never doubted their son’s riding talents, his mom also deserves credit for nurturing his creative side. “When I was super little, she’d give me a sketchbook to keep me quiet in church,” he laughed. “She always saw an artistic spark in me.”

Eisenhart’s mom subsequently enrolled him in an intensive threehour class in liquid lead-spraying. Despite tears and protestations that he’d rather be outside playing, Eisenhart admitted that the class was a revelation. “I learned a ton about technique, layering, shadowing, highlights; I basically took a university-style class at the age of ten. But when I turned eighteen, I turned pro and moved to Europe. I made the choice to eat, sleep, and breathe cycling—nothing else.”

Completely divorced from his art, Eisenhart said he suffered without knowing why. Lacking a method of self-expression and dealing with the type of eating disorder common among athletes striving for lighter, faster frames, Eisenhart slipped into a deep depression. On a phone call home, Donnalee Eisenhart suggested that art classes might renew her son’s spirits.

It was a pivotal moment in his life. During a winter semester at Dixie State University, Eisenhart’s experimentation with charcoals, oils, and other mediums rekindled his soul while nutrition classes put his physical health back on track. “I realized that art would let me do more than draw; I could go inside of myself and be expressive,” he noted. “I hadn’t realized that was such a huge part of my life.”

Ever since, even as he continued to ride to cycling fame, Eisenhart has devoted himself to art; today he does so in the studio located behind his home. His talents attracted the attention of Michelle Graves, St. George City Deputy Director of Arts & Events, who reached out to Eisenhart earlier this year.

“I had identified a wall on Main Street that leads to a beautiful little urban park the city improved when the apartments were built,” Graves explained. “I’d been following T.J. on social media and was impressed that he was a very prolific artist. One day, I saw a bright, dynamic painting he created of a cyclist and thought it would be amazing to have a triathlon mural on that wall that IRONMAN World Championship athletes could enjoy as they came into the finish line in May.

“Having another art installment that truly defines us as ‘the land of endurance’ is a blessing to the downtown area that is truly becoming an art mecca,” continued Graves. “The fact that this mural is painted by a professional local athlete closely ties it to the event and encapsulates all that we love about St George: the arts, the events, and the outdoors.”

The City, the Greater Zion Convention & Tourism Office, and the St. George Arts Commission subsequently collaborated with Eisenhart to create the mural celebrating the upcoming IRONMAN World Championship as well as the land and people who have endured to make us what we are today. As Greater Zion Director Kevin Lewis noted, “Iconic athletic events are part of the fabric that brightens our communities. As IRONMAN hosts, we saw an opportunity to enrich our community more fully with the fusion of art and athletics. We’re thrilled to commission this mural as a legacy to the World Championship and a contribution to our community that invites us to feel more deeply and to act more valiantly.”

Expressing appreciation for the faith placed in him to produce artwork that will engage and inspire, Eisenhart said he designed the mural to capture both the pinnacle of athletic achievement embodied by IRONMAN participants and the unparalleled beauty of southern Utah. In the painting, a swimmer plows through Sand Hollow Reservoir in the early hours, a cyclist scales the heights of Snow Canyon State Park at midday, and a runner crosses the finish line downtown at dusk.

“It’s so humbling that my city values what I do,” Eisenhart finished. “At the same time, I’ve been where those athletes are; I know the pressure, what it takes to get to the top, and the sacrifices they have to make. I had no lack of inspiration.”

To learn more about IRONMAN World Championship volunteer opportunities (race week and/or race day), visit https://ironman. volunteerlocal.com/volunteer/?id=59923.

About the Author

Marianne L. Hamilton is a veteran journalist and marketing writer whose work appears in regional and national publications. When not race walking, hiking, or teaching water aerobics, she is the past Board Chair of Art Around the Corner and the Special Events Manager for DOCUTAH. She and her husband, Doug, are also co-administrators of the St. George Wine Club and race directors for the Huntsman World Senior Games and National Senior Games. Marianne was crowned Ms. Senior Universe 2021-2022 and is the Senior Pageants Group’s Senior Games Ambassador. She is a proud breast cancer survivor.