You don’t have to win, you just have to tri

Before Robin Rice decided she wanted to lose 40 pounds four years ago, she’d never thought about running a marathon or competing in a triathlon.

Then someone challenged her to a marathon. And one week after she finished that, one of her nieces challenged her to compete in a triathlon.

The only problem was Rice couldn’t swim.

But the idea captured her imagination. It inspired her to try.

So she took swimming lessons and signed up for an Anchorage triathlon. Then she encouraged a group of about 15 of her friends to shape up and compete together in their first triathlon.

She had so much fun as the organizer and cheerleader for that group that she decided to organize a triathlon for Wasilla.

“Palmer, Homer, Valdez, Seward and Anchorage all had their own triathlon, but not Wasilla,” Rice said.

And so was born the “Why Not Tri?” Wasilla triathlon in 2010. Rice said she expected 70 to 80 people might sign up, but was surprised when 300 people signed up.

“It was really exciting to see the community involved in it,” she said.

As she was putting the first race together, sponsors began asking who the money raised would benefit.

“At the time my brother was dying of Lou Gehrig’s disease,” she said.

Last year the race raised $3,000 for ALS research.

Then her brother died the day before the race.

“It was kind of an emotional run,” Rice said.

The 2010 race was so much work, she said she thought at the time it would be a one-time thing. But then the calls and emails started to pour in.

After hearing stories like the woman how wrote to thank them, saying she’d lost 30 pounds training and couldn’t run a mile when she started training, they had to try again.

Saturday, 238 people competed in the second annual “Why Not Tri?” at Wasilla High School. And some of the 100 or so volunteers who helped at this year’s race are the same women who ran with Rice in her first triathlon, she said.

Now co-organizers Amy Adams and Rice say they plan to make the “Why Not Tri?” an annual event. A volunteer board also meets regularly to help plan the race.

Rice said the number of sponsors has doubled from last year and she expects the donation to ALS research will increase as well, maybe as much as $5,000 or $6,000 this year. It’s too soon to know what this year’s total is, she said.

“I wanted it to be for people who don’t normally do stuff like this,” Rice said. “Why not? Why not try to do that?”

To Rice, Adams and the 100 or so volunteers who made this triathlon for the community they love we say thank you.

You are spotless reminders of the value of trying.

Like the sign said at the finish line of the race Saturday, “Why not Tri: You don’t have to win, you just have to tri.”