“Swim, bike, run,” is the slogan of the annual Rotary Sunrise Kids Triathlon, and while the waves were a little too rough at Saturday’s prep clinic before the event, dozens of young athletes were still out at Magen’s Bay Beach learning the finer points of running and biking.
This will be the third year for the triathlon, which was organized by the St. Thomas Club of Rotary Sunrise in hopes of teaching kids across St. Thomas-St. John about everything from the benefits of competition to healthy eating habits and nutrition.
“We always have a clinic about a month before the race to teach participants ages 5 to 15 about what they will be doing during the race, and it’s always a great event,” Rotary Sunrise President Fred Warden said Saturday. “The kids have a lot of fun and frankly, so do all of us parents, organizers and volunteers.”
While there were about 50 or so kids at the clinic, Warden said come race day on April 13, the beach would be packed with hundreds more. Last year’s triathlon had approximately 400 participants, representing schools all over the island, and organizers expect more this year, Warden said.
“Our sponsor Scotiabank has really backed this and turned it into a big event for us, and the community has really embraced it, so we’re looking forward to seeing who comes out next month,” Warden said.
Every year, the triathlon also brings out a wide range of local volunteers who lend their expertise to the training and event process. Scott Fricks, for example, is the president of the Virgin Islands Triathlon Federation and he has been involved in the youth event since the get-go, helping instill the love the sport into the young athletes.
“We want all parents to get their kids out there, competing and participating because triathlon is a lifelong sport,” Fricks said. “More people get into it and stay into it more than any other sport in the world, and it teaches kids a lot of good habits, including lifetime fitness, teamwork, partnership, and achieving goals.”
Fricks said if waters are too choppy on the day of the event, the race will be turned into a duathlon, keeping the biking and running components.
Meanwhile, residents in the community can do their part to contribute by participating in a bike drive scheduled from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday at PriceSmart on St. Thomas. Any bikes donated will be fixed up and used for the triathlon, or used for parts, according to organizers.
Other sponsors include Fortress Self Storage, the Source, Glacial Energy and Choice Communications.
