GROWING YOUNG BASE MEET TRIATHLON’S BY MACKENZIE LOBBY
Colorado Springs-based Peak Multisport coach Ken Axford with youth triathletes, from left: Heidi Martin, Liberty Ricca, Domyniko Jordan and Nikolas Brown.
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child’s PLAY
30 USA TRIATHLON WINTER 2013 Tom Kimmell
aitlin Begg, 19, is among the first genera- tion of triathletes who grew up with the sport. She did her first race at 10 years old and by the
time she reached high school, she had hung up her lacrosse cleats to devote herself full time to triathlon. After completing her first half Ironman as a ninth grader, she founded Young Tri in 2009 in hopes of creating an online resource for up-and-coming triathletes like herself. Young Tri’s development and growth signals a significant influx of young people coming into the mul- tisport world. From 5-year-olds with water wings and training wheels all the way up to junior elites, triathlon is no longer just for grown-ups. “When I first started competing, I was really the only one doing it,” says Begg. “As I got older, more kids have started participating and it has contin- ued to grow.”
With expanding triathlon series like IronKids and TOUGHKids, these events aren’t adult races retro-fitted for kids, but rather stand-alone or complementary events that attract thousands of youngsters. As the sport is gaining in popularity across the board, it is the young demographic that is seeing the most significant growth. While there are a handful of existing hurdles for kids to get involved, the benefits far outweigh those, making for a steady stream of young newbies.
Perhaps best of all, watching these ambitious young athletes compete — bikes adorned with handlebar streamers and T-shirts on backward and inside out — reminds us what multisport competition is really about: personal accomplishment and enjoyment.