.jpg)
If you know my family you know that we are a little crazy. We are always on the move, we are always adding on a new habit or addiction, we go a little on the extreme side. Kailee, our daughter is not an exception, she had joined the bandwagon and is loving it.
A few years ago I did my very first triathalon and kind of fell in love with it. I’m not a swimmer or a runner, but the bike was pretty fun. I started small and did a few mini’s the first year. I got better every time and really enjoyed it. While we were at the triathlon races my husband would always talk to a group that was there called Break Through Elite Racing. They are a training group for youth to help them learn how to compete in triathlons. The kids that were racing with them were amazing and every time Kailee would see them race she’d say she wanted to do that. I think that it got stuck in my hubby’s head that when Kailee was old enough to join he wanted her to be able to race.
A few months ago my husband told me that he had been talking to the coaches at Break Through Elite Racing and wanted Kailee to join them for a trial run to see if she’d be interested in doing the races. At the time Kailee was 4, but she’d been swimming since she was 10 months old and was a fish in the water and she loved running with her daddy (the marathon racer). I said if she wanted to do it we could try it out. Within the first practice we knew Kailee would do well. She LOVED everything about it (except the biking – she’s still working on that part) and has fallen in love with her coach, Coach Kristi.
This summer, Break Through held a summer camp at ASU open for anyone kids who wanted to learn about triathlons. There was a great turn out and it was an amazing opportunity for Kailee to really see the whole picture of what she was doing. She went every day, being one of the youngest there, and worked hard. One day I asked if I could come and photograph what they were doing and was thrilled when they said I could come. I spent the day watching them all work and seeing kids as young as 4 learn how to participate in a triathlon. It was pretty amazing.
I wanted to share some of the pictures from the day because it’s fun to see. Break through will only work with kids who want to do triathlons, they don’t work with kids whose parents are pushing them to do them, but they don’t want to. It makes it so the kids who are participating are having a really good time and enjoying every minute. It’s good and healthy.
Below are some of my favorite images from the day; of course it focuses on Kailee, because hey, she’s my kiddo and i’m proud of her, but it also will give you a great idea of what this group is about! They put on camps twice a year, so if you have a kid that might be interested, i’d say check them out. It’s been a great experience for us!
On the last day, they did a mini triathlon and the kids were able to put it all together. Kailee swam 1 lap, did a 1 mile bike ride, and ran 1/4 to 1/2 mile. We were so proud of her!
by Kimberly Jarman