A chance to run with the best
They’ve gone on to make their collective mark in the wider triathlon world, but they’ve all got a strong connection to the pool at McMaster University and the track and roads around the campus.
“There’s a real connection between Mac and triathlon,” says former Olympic coach and Mac grad, Barrie Shepley.
Shepley will be among the presenters at the Skechers McMaster Triathlon and Endurance Clinic at McMaster on Saturday which is open to athletes of all ages who are interested in triathlon. It’s also a fundraiser for coach Paula Schnurr’s varsity running teams.
Shepley points out that Olympian Andrew Yorke, 70.3 Ironman champion Taylor Reid and Ironman world record-holder Lionel Sanders, who was recently second at the prestigious Ironman world championships at Kona, all raced cross-country for Schnurr at McMaster.
Part of the day’s activities will be the unveiling of an 18-minute documentary called “Chasing the Lion,” depicting Sanders’ incredible journey to the elite level of international Ironman competition after giving up his drug addiction.
“It’s a storybook tale of a kid who came from a tough place that could have cost him his life to the discipline and fresh air of the university,” Shepley said.
Sanders won’t be at the clinic because he and his longtime fiancé, Erin MacDonald, are getting married this weekend.
Shepley is one of the founders of Triathlon Ontario, and was encouraged to start an umbrella organization for the swimming-cycling-running sport by his mentors at McMaster, Tim Louks and Dr. Frank Hayden.
“The first ever Triathlon Ontario office was in my Mac residence room at Edwards Hall for two years,” Shepley laughs.
Kids of Steel, Shepley’s very successful annual series of triathlons for younger athletes, staged its first event at McMaster’s Sport and Fitness School for kids in 1986.
At the age of 12 Simon Whitfield, who won the first Olympic triathlon in 2000, ran a Kids of Steel event later that summer.
Although Kids of Steel is a play on Ironman, “It didn’t fall on deaf ears that I was starting Kids of Steel in the Steel City,” he says.
Other presenters at Saturday’s clinic are open-water swim guru Miguel Vadill; Ed Veal, the Canadian cycling one-hour time trial record holder; Sean Bechtel, multiple national triathlon medallist; sports injury specialist Dr. Peter Hrakl; Ontario’s top professional female triathlete Kristen Marchant; Olympic coach Craig Taylor; yoga-stretching specialist Caron Shepley, periodization specialist Sheldon Persad; and sports psychologist Tom Dywanksi.
There are five sessions in Saturday’s clinic, and people of all skill levels can sign up at personalbest.ca.