Another year is in the books for the Arden Park Youth Triathlon. This year’s race was a tremendous success, but it’s with mixed emotions that we announce the closing of a 14-year tradition in our community with the final race in 2024.
The planning committee worked seamlessly this year, and with a small team of four—Mauricio Buchner, Leah Lind, Ron Salvatori, and myself—we were able to end this tradition on a high note. We brought back the traditional format for the race’s final year, including the bike portion, and were fortunate to have had no major incidents on the freshly paved La Sierra Drive. As always, the swim and run legs were exciting, with thrilling sprints and intense competition.
While the planning committee handles the logistics, the heart of a successful event lies with our dedicated volunteers. I want to start by thanking our lead team—Christina Joyce (Swim Lead), Jeremey Horan (Bike Lead), Christine Stephenson (Run Lead), Charlie Joyce (Set-Up Lead), and Sabrina Henley (Start Lead)—for ensuring everything ran on time and smoothly. To the parents of our young athletes, your support for sports activities in our community means so much. We know it can be a lot, and your time and energy spent on set-up, clean-up, and making sure this event was seamless did not go unnoticed. We were also fortunate to have the help of high schoolers from Rio Americano and Dutch Bros, who took on many volunteer roles this year. These young people are the future of our community, and they came out to help with enthusiasm and positive attitudes. I truly appreciate the time and effort each of you contributed to planning and executing this event, and I hope you enjoyed some laughs along the way.
I’d also like to extend my gratitude to the small business owners who took time out of their busy schedules to participate. Steve Buzzard always brings the fun, keeps things running smoothly as the MC, and provides the tunes to get everyone’s adrenaline pumping. Steve is a pillar in our community, and he made sure to recognize every athlete who crossed the finish line. We were fortunate to have a sports photographer donate her time and talent this year to capture priceless moments throughout the race. Carol Shoaff, you are an artist, and I couldn’t be happier with the incredible photos you took. And last but certainly not least, a big shout-out to Bean Harrah from Urban Flex and Flow for not only warming up the athletes but also cheering them on at the finish line.
I also want to recognize and thank our generous sponsors, who have continued to support this event year after year. First and foremost, Swansons Cleaners returned as our Title Sponsor and has supported this event from the very beginning. Just as integral to the success of this event is Dan Gibbs and Teichert Construction who provided all of the course safety equipment we needed to create a safe and clear race course, even for the smallest athletes. Without this generous donation, the race would simply not have been possible. Another long time supporter, Szymanowski Orthodontics, returned as our Run Course Sponsor, with Dr. Damon and his team bringing their usual enthusiasm and tasty Otter Pops. The list of loyal sponsors continues with Dana Gray and her team from Gray Group Real Estate who sponsored our fuel station, keeping the athletes hydrated and energized post-race. Finally, Fat Cat Bakery provided delicious cookies as a post-race snack, and our local Starbucks on Watt and Fair Oaks kept our volunteers fueled with much-needed coffee throughout the morning.
On a personal note, stepping away from my role as race director is bittersweet. I witnessed so many incredible moments this year that made all the hard work and sacrifices worthwhile. Kids cheering on their friends, hugs at the finish line, first-timers proud of their accomplishments, and excited parents all contributed to making this a truly special event. I couldn’t be happier with how we closed out this chapter of the Arden Park Youth Triathlon.
Kellie Rushton
Arden Park Youth Triathlon Race Director