Youngsters got a taste of what it is like to compete in a triathlon during the Kiwanis Club of Nipissing’s annual North Bay Triathlon Weekend.
In the children's triathlon, roughly 110 youngsters competed in one of four age categories starting with the youngest group comprised of 6 to 7 year olds, to the final group of competitors aged 12 and up, with the oldest generally around 15 years old.
Competitors swam, cycled and ran their way to the finish line.
Two participants in the children’s triathlon, 8-year-old Rone Davel and her 7-year-old sister Anje were back for their second year.
“I like the biking. I enjoyed it very much,” said Anje.
Older sister Rone has a different preference.
“I enjoyed the running. It was different from last year because it was a bit longer.”
Mom Vanda and her husband, who competes as part of a triathlon relay team, enjoy seeing their daughters being active.
“We like to encourage them, to enjoy this from a young age. We encourage sports and being outside, being active. So, this is such a great initiative to keep the kids active. I love it,” said Vanda Davel.
“They did it last year and they loved it. This year they couldn’t wait for it.”
Race director Nancy Birtch says the Kiwanis Club has organized the two-day triathlon weekend for nearly 20 years.
“For us it is about giving back to the community. It is achieving our purpose which is serving the children of the world. It is a great event. We love the adult event and the kids one grew out of that. It is just a great opportunity to bring activity to the community,” explained Birtch.
“It helps introduce youngsters into the triathlon sport at a young age.”
Volunteers play an important role in managing to keep the weekend running like a well-oiled machine.
“We probably have about 100 volunteers over the two-day period. We start working the first of January. The last two weeks has been pretty active recruiting our final volunteers and people committing to attending the event,” said Birtch.
The triathlon is one of the club’s largest fundraising endeavours.
“All the money goes back into children’s programs in the community. We do Pack Sack Smiles, we sponsor some soccer teams, we sponsor a Cub group. Another thing we support is the Aktion Club for adults living with disabilities. So that is just some of the things we do through our fundraising.”
