August 28, 2017 at 4:36 p.m.
Triathletes go WILD despite chilly weather
Triathletes go WILD despite chilly weather
By Kayla Thomason-
The athletes - released in waves - waded to the end of the dock. At the go signal, they swam or kayaked a designated course - 300 yards for swimmers, a half mile for kayakers - sprinted out of the water and took off to the 10K biking portion. Racers finished with a scenic 5K run.
Mike Prom, director of the race, had a laugh with some of the racers before takeoff.
"The runners said this (weather) is nice," he said. "We joked that we chipped the ice off the lake beforehand."
Prom said he was impressed with the racers' times and thinks the challenge of the triathlon keeps them coming back.
This year, two-thirds of the racers were new and there was an even split between those kayaking and those swimming.
"They had a choice between swimming and kayaking and that's been about an even split between the two," Prom said.
Edward Baleke, of Uganda, regional director of Eastern Central Africa for W.I.L.D., was pleased with the turnout.
He noted cool weather is good for the runners and appreciated their participation in this event.
"I feel that a small town like this is something very good because the impact of what happens and the information and what this event does to other nations is greater felt in a smaller city than a big city and the awareness and the need is extended broader," he said.
W.I.L.D. is a Christ-centered, interdenominational, international organization that implements Biblical leadership principals to leaders of all ages. It was started in the early 2000s through Headwaters Christian Youth.
"I am very, very excited (that the proceeds go to WILD," Baleke said. "All of these countries are in great need of a leadership training and Christianity discipleship."
He said the children involved in the W.I.L.D. program are inquisitive about Rhinelander.
"They get excited because when they ask me how is Rhinelander and I tell them 'Well, there's trees and there's forests and they're like 'What?' They expect to see skyscrapers, buildings, all this stuff we see on TV, but to know that people from a very small town can help do so big at WILD it's very touching," he said with a smile.
He would love to see more awareness about WILD in the schools, he added.
Meagan Otto, a first-time triathlete, enjoyed the challenging terrain.
"It was challenging, I expected it to be hard but going through the woods made it a new level of difficult," she said with a smile. "There were points where you literally had to will yourself to keep going instead of just laying there for a sec."
Otto was amazed by everyone's kindness and appreciated the tips from the experienced racers.
"There are some people who said they've been doing this for years and gave us some tips beforehand so everyone was super helpful and encouraging," she said.
Some of the advice she received was to go slow up the hills and increase speed on the long stretches, and don't give up.
She thinks it's wonderful that the proceeds go to W.I.L.D, and encourages those who are considering a mini-triathlon to start with this one.
"I would say this would be an awesome one to start with, like I said everyone is super encouraging and fun, no one's out to beat each other and they're all willing to help out and cheer you on," she said.
Cort Parsons, another first timer, liked the course.
"I thought it was really nice, it was a neat course, I liked the trail run portion and also the mountain biking is kinda cool, most of the triathlons are road biking so that's kind of neat," he said.
Parsons said he hascompleted five or six triathlons this summer.
"It's fun, you're racing against yourself and not really everybody else and it's kind of neat to see your fitness progress and keep racing yourself and getting personal records," he said.
For his daughter, Greta Parsons, the W.I.L.D. mini-triathlon was an introduction to the sport.
"It was really fun, I had a great time," she said. Her favorite part was the swimming, as she is on the swim team.
She was aiming to complete the race in an hour and a half and completed it in an hour and 24 minutes.
"I was very proud of myself," she said.
She encourages those who are considering participate in this race to focus on themselves and their goals, rather than their finishing placement.
This event typically brings in $2,500 to $3,000 W.I.L.D. to help youth leadership skills locally and abroad, organizers said.
Kayla Breese may be reached at [email protected].
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