Plenty of reasons to try ‘Why Not Tri’ triathlon

After having my fourth child, I decided I wanted to run a marathon. Achieving this goal was an exhilarating experience for me. One week after the race, my niece challenged me to do a triathlon.

“Do a what?” I asked.

She said, “You know — swim, bike, run.”

I thought that sounded fun, but there was only one problem — I didn’t know how to swim.

“Why not?” I finally said.

Over the next few months, I learned how to swim. Not only did I sign up for a triathlon in Anchorage, I challenged seven of my friends to do it with me. I was having so much fun helping them get in shape that I had the thought that it would be great to reach out to more people. Quickly that thought changed to, wouldn’t it be great if Wasilla had a triathlon so people could set a goal to get in shape? After completing the triathlon, my ambition changed to organize Wasilla’s first triathlon. This is the story of how theWhy Not Tri Wasilla Triathlon was born.

At the time of organizing the triathlon, my brother was dying of Lou Gehrig’s disease, and I decided that I would donate any proceeds to the ALS Association in honor of him. I told him about it and that he had to hold on until after this race.

With a few sponsors and fliers up, we were ready to see who would sign up. At first I thought we would get about 75 racers, but in the end there were close to 300 registrants and more than 80 volunteers. This was a little overwhelming, yet exciting. This is what I really wanted — to reach out to the community.

As race day neared, we finished up last-minute things. The day before the race I got a call from my mom. She told me that my brother had died that morning.

“No! I told him that he had to wait until after the race!” I yelled.

Needless to say, it was hard to continue organizing the race. It was one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done, and I didn’t think I could do it again.

Race day came and it was thrilling to see the people who had been training for this day. Spectators watched and cheered on their friends and family as they crossed the finish line. Most of the racers had never done a triathlon before, and it was invigorating to hear their stories.

Days later, we received numerous emails from racers. One in particular wrote:

“This was my first triathlon. I started training for this event specifically last October. At that time, I was unable to swim the crawl stroke or complete a full length and could not run more than a block or so. It was definitely a life-changing year for me ... and this tri was my inspiration. Thank you.”

That email made it all worth it. I knew I had to organize it again.

Now the triathlon is in its third year, and we have a great board of directors and many generous sponsors. We still want to reach out to the beginner triathlete. If you don’t feel comfortable doing one part of the race, sign up as a team. “Why Not Tri” something you’ve never done before?

Also, we are excited to announce the addition of a youth race. Why Not Tri Kids will feature long and short courses for children ages 6-12. It will be held in the afternoon of the same day of the adult race and will not be timed. Every kid will receive a T-shirt, a medal and food at the finish line. There will also be a chance to win prizes, including bikes donated by the Alaska Bicycle Center.

Why Not Tri Wasilla Triathlon and Why Not Tri Kids will be held June 16 in honor of my brother and all of those who fight the terrible disease of ALS. Come and participate, volunteer or cheer on the racers as they “tri” something new.