This year’s Arden Park Youth Triathlon was another huge success! It’s always exciting to see the participants who are doing their very first triathlon. The struggle to get everything just right, the parents making sure their child is all set up, the huge smile of pride spread across the faces of both the child and their parents at the finish line! It’s also fun to watch the growth of children who’ve been doing it for years. Watching them get better at transition, strive to do their very best and have the same beautiful smile of accomplishment at the end.
My name is Christina Joyce and I’ll be taking on the job of Race Director for the 2017 Arden Park Youth Triathlon. My son, Preston, has done this event for 3 years and is also on the Arden Park Dolphins swim team. My family and I were impressed by this event the first year we participated and it’s been exciting to see it grow!
This year brought a new bike course that everyone seemed to approve of. It was safer with fewer laps to keep track of and a physical challenge. I don’t think anyone in the community thought La Sierra had as many hills until we decided to have children ride their bikes on it! But, a challenge can be a good thing and helps us grow as athletes. It was also fun to see the number of families who came out of their houses to cheer on the athletes along the course. Bringing the community together is what it’s all about!
We had the addition of the Fun Zone. This was a great distraction for kids waiting for their wave. We are anticipating having that back next year and bringing it a little closer to the action.
On behalf of our entire race committee, I’d like to say thank you! Thank you to the families that participate. Seeing the children accomplish this makes all the hard work completely worth every minute. Thank you to our amazing sponsors! Your support of this community is always above and beyond our expectations. Thank you to the Arden Park Recreation and Park District for helping us secure permits, supplying the venue, and helping with all the behind the scenes event maintenance. And last, but not least, thank you to all of the volunteers! Without you, this event wouldn’t be possible! Whether counting laps in swim, setting up, providing safety on the bike course or helping in transition, each person played an integral part in making the day the success that it was.