Published November 16, 2011 11:15AM
According to USA Triathlon, 7 to 17 year olds now make up 25% of all triathletes in the country.
Robert Stewart is your typical 5th grader. His schedule is packed with sports games and practices. He plays football, baseball, basketball, and wrestling. Then, he decided to try a new sport: the triathlon.
“I didn’t know what to do. I just tried hard. No bike, just a regular BMX bike. I won first place,” he says. The early success pushed Robert, culminating this September when he was the Iron Kids National Triathlon for his age group.
Kate Perry is also a triathlete. The long time soccer player hung up her cleats in pursuit of a different goal. “I didn’t think of it as a sport I might do. I mean, I swam before, and I grew up biking,” she says.
Kate and Robert are both part of a national trend. According to USA Triathlon, 7 to 17 year olds now make up 25% of all triathletes in the country. “It’s cool to see the younger crowd get involved. It’s creating a healthy environment for them to live in,” says Matt Schmitt, president of the University of Alabama Triathlon club.
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