Johnson joins Team USA

Johnson to represent Team USA at World Championship triathlon

Years of training have paid off for Amy Johnson, fitness director at First Baptist Church Fitness. She has been invited to represent Team USA in the World Championship triathlon, which takes place this September in London.

“It’s a dream come true,” Johnson said of the honor, of which she was notified in March. She said she is in “hard training” for the triathlon, in which Olympics-caliber athletes will compete in varying age brackets.

The Russellville native said she has been directing fitness at the church for three years, and has been a personal trainer for more than 20 years.

“I’ve always enjoyed physical fitness,” she said. “I started running in 5ks about 20 years ago, but I wanted more, so I put running together with biking and swimming. I liked the challenge of all three.”

She participated in the first duathlon in Hot Springs in 2000. “We were trying to decide whether to move here when I heard about the duathlon. I won Overall Female in that first competition.”

Her husband, A.J., is her training partner. “We enjoy sports together, and we compete for anything and everything. We both want to be the best. It’s always a battle.”

She said A.J. is “super-excited for me. He is such a supporter. It’s too much work for both of us to compete in Team USA at the same time. It’s good for one to compete and the other to be in support mode.”

Amy qualified for Team USA by placing in the top 10 percent of athletes in her age group (40-44) in the National Championships last August in Burlington, Vt. “The top 18 athletes in each age division qualify for the World Championship.”

She and A.J. will spend 10-12 days in London, where she also qualified for the Aquathon, a swimming and bike event held two days prior to the triathlon.

“I’ve basically been in training since August” for the World Championship, she said. “I had a feeling this was coming. I train six days a week, biking, swimming and running. I train either at the Y or in open water.”

They train for different events on different days of the week, and try to find a balance in their training so that they can still enjoy family time with their children, Alley and Stefan. “We go to bed early but we’re up every morning by 4:30 a.m. and are training by 5 a.m.”

She said she takes one day off every week to put her feet up and soak in ice. “It’s a part-time job,” she said of the intensity of her training. “The hardest part is avoiding injuries. I have a lot of hip and back problems from riding. I have a team of physical therapists and medical doctors consulting and evaluating my condition. So the training is hard on my body, plus I teach 12 classes a week. So I’m always doing something.”

She has a coach of her own who also helps her prepare for the triathlon. Like all athletes, Johnson pays close attention to what she eats.

“Nutrition is very important,” Johnson said. “I’m not a strict vegetarian, but I don’t like to eat meat, so I do a lot of eggs, nuts and beans. No processed foods. I’ve always enjoyed healthy nutrition.”