The thought of registering your 6- or 8-year-old for a triathlon may sound crazy at first. Until you realize it’s really not a competition at all. At that age, it’s all about helping the youngsters through the transitions. Parents are right there to help their kids dry off, get their shoes on, and get on their bikes for the bike portion. Or help them put their bike on the rack and run in the right direction for the running portion.
One of the goals of the Owensboro Parent Kids Triathlon presented by Independence Bank was to make fitness fun as a family. “At the YMCA, our mission is to build strong families and strong communities, so we love seeing families being active together,” says Chad Hart, YMCA Senior Program Director, who helped coordinate the event. “Training for the Kids Triathlon is a great way to spend time together as a family doing healthy activities.”
Judging by the fact that over 100 kids participated in the inaugural Kids Triathlon, which was twice what we expected, there’s something to this.
Being physically active as a family has tremendous advantages beyond the obvious health benefits. There is also family bonding and comaderie from sharing the experience. “Being active as a family is a great way to connect,” says Dylan Hammons, an IRONMAN athlete, as is his wife, Shelly. “For us, it’s a way to stay engaged with our kids. If my wife and I take the kids swimming at a family swim night at the Y, then that’s going to also change the dynamic the next time we’re at the lake or the beach. It becomes ‘Let’s see who can swim to the that rope first’ instead of watching from the beach or edge of the pool. Or ‘Hey, come with me’ instead of mom and dad watching on the porch as the kids ride bikes up and down the sidewalk.”
That type of engagement is healthy for both parent and child, which strengthens the family dynamic even more.
“We see it work both ways,” says Hart. “Parents who are active can invite their kids to join them on bike rides, swims, long walks, or short runs. On the other hand, for a parent who is wanting to get more active, an invitation from their kid to ride bikes or go swimming with them might just be the motivation they needed.”
That was the case for Keith and Heather Haynes’s son, Gavin, who is 11. Heather says Gavin tried team sports but never really found his “thing.” But last year, while Heather trained for an IRONMAN, Gavin decided he wanted to try a kids triathlon.
He placed in his first race. “I think it appeals to him because he’s self-motivated. With this, there’s a huge sense of reward because your results are based on your own effort,” Heather explained, recounting the time in one race when Gavin got a flat tire during the bike portion but still pedaled through and finished the race. Gavin already ran cross-country for Burns Middle School, but now is on the Marlins swim team to stay in shape for triathlons and trains with Green River Tri Club, a youth triathlon club based here in Owensboro.
Even Gavin’s younger brother, Ellis, 4, participates in “fun run” triathlons. To him, that’s completely normal. “He just does what he saw ‘Bubba’ do,” Heather said.
Hammons says the beauty is in the process, for the child and for the family that supports them. “It’s not about trophies and medals. All those things you learn along the way: teamwork, waking up early to train, the value of teammates, self-discipline, all those things will pay off in the classroom to and later on in life as well.”