Local triathlete aims to raise youth interest

Connee Badiuk is looking to help improve youth interest in the sport of triathlon for a Kenora meet next month.
The Essex Road Mountain bike triathlon is slated Aug. 4 and she and her two sons, Boyd, 12, and Cameron, nine, will be competing there.
A veteran of four triathlons, Badiuk said she started using it as a cross-training tool to condition herself for squash. Nowadays, though, she’s involved herself heavily into the sport while all but abandoning the courts.
She said one of the major barriers for parents is the perception that the sport is only for the real “ironman-types.”
“I think that’s [the problem] when most people think about a triathlon,” she said. “But people of all ages, shapes, and sizes take part. The competitors are very supportive and friendly.
“It’s just general fitness.”
Those competing in the under-12 age category will swim 100m, bike five km on a mountain trail, and then run one km to the finish line. Older kids (aged 12-15) will swim 400 m, bike 10 km, and run three km.
“Most younger kids can handle this. It’s not that far,” Badiuk said. “We’ll be going on group bike rides or [a] group swim to get them accustomed.”
Badiuk said it’s not too late to give the sport a try. Registration forms for the Kenora triathlon can be picked up from Badiuk (274-3458), and at Tagg’s or Skates and Blades here.