Triathlon 101

Women's Commission member Peggy Donovan writes...

 The Birth of Triathlon 101.

Not long ago, I was talking to Shem Wattenbarger about the Women's Commission and she asked me if I would write an article about Triathlon101 for the USAT newsletter. I thought it was a wonderful way to encourage other women to start mentoring younger, more inexperienced athletes, so I agreed to write this article.

Triathlon 101 began to evolve about ten years ago when I would find myself educating people about the sport of triathlon and encouraging them to take part in a race. Instead of sending them out into the unknown by themselves, I would meet with them on Monday and  Friday mornings at a local lake. The lake area was the site of a popular triathlon.   Not only was it a perfect training place to swim, but great for running and biking.  We kept our meetings very informal but still managed to train and learn. The small groups became steadfast training buddies who always encouraged one another to achieve their goals. After several years of this informal leadership I decided to get organized. Of course, I am using this term very loosely. Using a $250 donation and TRI-KC (Kansas City) as my umbrella, Triathlon 101 was born.  

Sherri Wattenbarger, with the help of some tremendously devoted women holds an all-day women's clinic every spring to introduce women to the sport of triathlon. At this clinic, brochures for Triathlon 101 are distributed to all the participants who are urged to continue their advancement into the sport of triathlon by attending the ten week summer sessions. Throughout spring and early summer, we distribute as many fliers as we can to promote our program.

One of my first students from two years ago, Kelly Fisher, has jumped on board to help out with the program.  For the part two years she has served as our swim coach and lifeguard.   Many of our athletes can't swim when they first come to us, but Kelly soon has them confident and ready for their first swim. From then on it's sink or swim and in spite of all the fun we have, she's all business and sees to it that there will be no surprises on race day by thoroughly training her students. From there she has turned into a training partner for the women and has shared her experiences with them. This year, without hesitation, she has agreed to coach Triathlon 102 which is an advanced version of Triathlon 101. We have added Triathlon 102 at the request of the graduates of 101. These women still seek advice and direction but are ready for more of a challenge than 101 has to offer. They have all thrived in their training environment and most have met their individual goals of completing a triathlon as an individual or as part of a team. At the very least, they have formed a bond with their classmates and they had the courage to TRI. I could not begin to tell you, in this limited space, what the Triathlon 101 experience has meant to me. That would take a very long bike ride. I can tell you that I have learned from every student I've had the pleasure of spending time with and I can't wait for this year's classes to begin. I hope I have sparked your interest and that many of you will consider starting programs like this of your own-

If you'd like to chat, please email Tri101Coach@aol.com   Peggy-Donovan.