20th annual triathlon adds special-needs division

CONWAY — The First Security Conway Kids’ Triathlon is celebrating two milestones this year: It’s the 20th annual event, and the first time for a special-needs division.

“We partnered with Community Connections this year, and we’re going to have a special-needs race,” said Heather Kendrick, race director. “We’re just really excited about the addition of that.”

The triathlon is scheduled for 8 a.m. Aug. 12 at Hendrix College in Conway. Registration at conwaykidstri.com is $20 until Tuesday, after which the fee increases to $25. There is no raceday registration. Participants will get a T-shirt, a medal for finishing and a water bottle.

Kids ages 6-15 can compete in the triathlon. The junior division is for ages 6-10 and includes a 50-yard swim, a 2-mile bike ride and half-mile run; youth ages 11-15 will compete in the senior division, which includes a 100-yard swim, a 4-mile bike ride and a 1-mile run.

Kendrick, who is serving as race director for the fourth time, said the bike course is through The Village at Hendrix. The run course goes across the bridge over Harkrider Street, into the Hendrix campus, through the tunnel back under Harkrider and finishes at the Hendrix Wellness and Athletics Center.

The special-needs children will run at the end and will use the junior-division distances.

Courtney Leach, executive

director of Community Connections, said the goal of the nonprofit organization is to provide quality sports and arts programs to specialneeds kids.

Community Connections held its own triathlon, Leach said, and when she heard it was the 20th anniversary of the Conway Kids’ Triathlon, she suggested to Kendrick and other staff members that they combine for a triathlon.

“They jumped on the idea, and we feel like it will make it a better experience for all our kids,” Leach said.

Leach said the special-needs children will have “buddies” to help them.

“We’re going to have volunteer buddies in the pool and along the track. They’ll run with the kid, help push a bike, if needed, and be there to cheer them on and be sure every kid experiences success,” Leach said. “We love it when kids with special needs can participate alongside typical kids.

“I just think there are a lot of children with mental and physical disabilities who still love sports, and they love to be active but maybe never would have thought a triathlon would be something they can participate in.”

Kendrick said the other competitors will be waiting for the awards ceremony, so they will get to see the special-needs children “really push themselves to do this and support those athletes.”

She said the Conway Kids’ Triathlon was started by runner Cheryl Potter, who died in August 2005. Her husband, runner Don Potter of Conway, is still an active volunteer.

She said it’s an event many people look forward to each year or remember fondly.

“People will say, ‘Oh, my kids were involved, and now they’re in college.’ Or we have parents who continue to say, ‘I can’t believe my kids are old enough to do this now.’”

Tammie McClurkin said her three children, Emma, 12, Siah, 9, and Hayes, 7, have competed in the First Security Conway Kids’ Triathlon from the time they were eligible.

She said her family has a longstanding tradition with friends Karen and Danny Mann of upstate New York, former Conway residents and triathlon race directors, who stay with the McClurkins for a week each year during the triathlon. All their children participate in the event together.

“We just do it for fun; we’re not super triathlete people,” McClurkin said, adding that she ran triathlons in her 20s. “This race is just really precious, and my kids enjoy it.”

Siah said she likes the triathlon because “it’s really fun, and it’s competitive. I like swimming — swimming’s my favorite, because I’m on the swim team, The Crocs, at Conway Regional [Health & Fitness Center],” she said.

Siah said she didn’t know the race is 20 years old.

“That’s pretty long,” she said. Siah said she plans to keep competing until she’s 15.

McClurkin said parents should “take great comfort in knowing it’s a fun race; you don’t have to be super athletic or super competitive to be able to do it. I mean, I cry every year. These babies work so hard and cross the finish line. To see kids do something adventurous and new and out of their comfort zone is so inspirational.

“It’s just such a fun experience for a town like ours.”

McClurkin said Kendrick and the race committee should be commended for all their hard work on the event.

Kendrick said the credit goes to the triathlon’s supporters and sponsors.

“It’s really amazing that the community has continued to support this event for 20 years,” she said.