THE KIDS ARE PUMPED
Ava Bunthey and Tyler Wilson practise pedalling at the bike station at St. Mary’s Wellness and Education Centre on Thursday as they prepare for the Kids of Steel triathlon next Wednesday. The event involves cycling, swimming and running.
Charley Struhar’s stolen bike didn’t stop her from joining a club to train for the Kids of Steel triathlon.
The 11-year-old St. Mary’s student and others in the club visited Bridge City Co-operative Bike Club, where they were allowed to borrow donated bikes.
The gears didn’t work and the tires needed to be pumped up, but the kids were taught how to do basic bicycle maintenance.
Struhar and her best friend Rylee Pierce participated with the team and in the triathlon last year. Their experience makes them informal mentors to the group, but hanging out together, going swimming each week at the YWCA and having fun are the big attractions, they said.
“It’s fun, cool, challenging, exciting,” Pierce said.
If she hadn’t been training three evenings a week since the beginning of May, she’d likely have been “lazy, watching TV,” she said.
Their teammate Tyler Wilson loves any opportunity to run.
“I have fun running everywhere; here, there, everywhere. I’m just like the Flash,” he said.
Support from the bike club for the triathlon program is just one way the community is helping to eliminate cost to the kids and removing the barrier to participating, said Joel Pedersen, a retired Saskatoon police officer and now fitness club owner who created the Learn to do Triathlon club.
The YWCA provides its pool, St. Mary’s School provides use of its fitness centre, the Pleasant Hill Community Association sponsors helmets and swim goggles for those who don’t have them, and the Saskatchewan Triathlon Association will waive at least some of the event entry fees, Pedersen said.
“I thought this might be a good opportunity for kids in that community who wouldn’t normally have an opportunity to do that,” Pedersen said.
Pedersen and teacher Tara Desroches have been training nine children — aged six to 14 years old — in swimming, cycling and running in preparation for the June 17 event to be held at Riversdale Pool.
This week, he took the team through transition drills so they’ll be organized and know what to do amid the confusion as swimmers get out of the pool and hurry to get their shoes and helmets on for the cycling part of the race and then how to switch from that to the run.
Providing physically challenging and fun activities that build up to events like a fun-run or triathlon supports children as they learn the empowering feeling of accomplishment, Pedersen said.
One small member of the triathlon team is so new to cycling, he trains with training wheels.
“It’s giving a little success and a little hope … for everyone regardless of age or abilities,” said Peterson.