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Three-peat for DC's Kids Triathlon Camp
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2009: Lisa Kilday/Hub of the Wheel
Only a cynic would scoff at Men’s Health magazine’s announcement that the Nation’s Capital is America’s “Fittest City” in 2009. Does fitness and health really rule DC? It must because every local park and trail in the summer are full of weekend warriors clad in spandex who are running, biking, or practicing their golf swing while checking their Blackberry. Many local running and cycling races sell out on the first day of registration. DC is a type-A city full of overachieving athletes, right?
Men’s Health overlooked the shameful reality of DC’s other population when they awarded DC as the “Fittest City in the US.” In a nutshell, DC is the unequivocal leader in preventable and deadly diseases in the US. Over 3% of DC residents have HIV or AIDS, which surpasses West Africa’s infection rate. AIDS is no longer a health issue in DC, it is an epidemic. DC’s high obesity rate has led to a rise in diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. DC can now boast that it ranks 4th in the nation for diabetes cases. Combined with an unemployment rising over 10%, high poverty levels, a high teenage pregnancy rate, high dropout rate, and high illiteracy (1/3rd of DC residents are functionally illiterate), the Men’s Health honor seems far-fetched.
2009: Lisa Kilday/Hub of the Wheel
The grim snapshot of DC’s wellbeing makes ACHIEVE Kids Tri aka Camp ACHIEVE for inner city kids remarkable. Camp ACHIEVE is not just a sports camp. The free camp is in its third year and features instruction in swimming, biking, and running along with nutrition education that culminates in a United States Triathlon Association (USAT) sanctioned kids’ triathlon on July 24th. This summer, the camp expanded to three locations in DC: Turkey Thicket Recreation Center, Kenilworth Parkside Recreation Center, and Benning Park Community Center. A satellite location of Camp ACHIEVE is located in Houston, Texas. McDonald’s, Craft clothing, Kahru shoes, Bike Lane, and Speedo are among the sponsors of the free camp. About half of the kids attended the triathlon camp before.
Charles Brodsky who founded the Nation’s Triathlon created the non-profit Camp ACHIEVE Kids to bring multisport to DC’s inner city kids. Brodsky, however, was notably absent from the kids’ triathlon, which was the highlight of the end of their kids’ summer camp on July 24th. Mayor Adrian Fenty was also invited to the kids’ triathlon race but did not attend. Brodsky was in Hamburg, Germany attending the 5th leg of the International Triathlon Union (ITU) Dextro Energy World Championship Series on July 25-26.
Olympian Hunter Kemper with Kids Tri (2009/Lisa Kilday)
Several members of the Arlington Triathlon Club (ATC) also raced in Camp Achieve’s mini triathlon. The ATC is in its second year and is a free school-based triathlon program with FitArlington as a partner. About two dozen kids are enrolled in the ATC. They train at Long Branch Elementary and Thomas Jefferson Middle Schools and swim at Yorktown High School pool. Their season begins in March to coincide with adult triathletes and officially finishes with a triathlon in June. The club raced at the Kid’s Triathlon in Manassas in June where one of their members won the kids’ race outright. Several members of the ATC extended their season after the June race by participating in additional triathlons, for example, Camp ACHIEVE’s July triathlon.
Zach Ellison of the ATC went to the Dextro Energy Triathlon in Yokohama, Japan on August 22nd as the captain of the U.S. kids’ triathlon team. He competed in the kid’s triathlon in Japan in the world’s first ever International Olympic Committee (IOC) supported World Kids’ Triathlon and Sports Summit. 800 kids (ages 10-15 years) from 16 countries traveled to Yokohama to celebrate the spirit of sport and fair play. About 200 kids from the Summit participated in the Worlds Kids’ Triathlon following the men’s elite Dextro Energy International Triathlon. The ITU race in Yokohama, Japan is the seventh race of the Dextro Energy ITU World Championship Series for elite triathletes.
At the beginning of the summer, kids from Camp ACHIEVE and the ATC met elite triathletes who were in town for DC’s Dextro Energy Triathlon. DC was the third stop of the Dextro Energy ITU World Championship Series. When the Examiner caught up with a few of these kids in July, only a few could remember specific names of the elite triathletes that they met in June but many remembered their faces and nationalities. Several kids remember American triathlete, Hunter Kemper, and his legendary appearance on a Wheaties cereal box.
Camp ACHIEVE’s kids’ triathlon was held in a 25-yard pool and the streets surrounding the Kenilworth Recreation Center. Volunteers from the DC Triathlon Club, United States Marine Corps, and other organizations cheered the kids on who were happily zooming through a 200-yard swim, 2-mile bike, and 1 mile run. The kids finished the race on Benning’s track under a balloon arch. Overall, every kid loved the triathlon although a few griped about the swim. Once they reached the end of the race, most kids sprinted the last 200 yards. Many kids who finished earlier joined their friends during the last few yards of their run where they finished together under the balloon arch. They had big smiles on their faces at the finish line. Parents and friends of the kids took off of work that morning to cheer enthusiastically from the bleachers.
The highlight of Camp ACHIEVE’s triathlon was seeing the kids running in together and finishing. It was really inspirational to see the kids finish a triathlon, especially if it was their first race. The kids did not stop and look at their watches at the finish lines. Even if the kids had watches, which is doubtful, they probably would not bother looking at their watches. They were not concerned with their times, pace, speed, or power. They were just happy to finish and to finish without expectations about their race. The kids truly enjoyed the race without trash talking or puffery, either.
Tary of the Benning Camp told the Examiner that he liked all of the sports, especially biking. One coach told the Examiner that the kids were fantastic motivators. The coach was amazed that the kids insisted on working out outside everyday regardless of the weather even though indoor facilities were available at each camp.
Regrettably, Jennifer Devlin of Camp ACHIEVE told the Examiner that there is no formal sports program during the school year to maintain the kids’ interest, fitness, or skills in triathlon. Ms. Devlin told the Examiner that most of the kids attend after school programs at the same recreational centers used during the summer and see each other all the time during the school year. A follow-up program or monthly reunion event for Camp ACHIEVE’s participants has not yet been contemplated. It is unclear whether or not this is due to lack of funding or coaches or for another reason.
Camp ACHIEVE gave awards to the fastest swimmer, biker, and runner from each camp. Each camp also presented an award for the most improved camper. Every participant received a finisher’s medal and certificate, a goody bag with a gift from McDonalds, and a dri-fit t-shirt. Bike Lane of Reston and Burke Lake, Virginia generously donated and raffled off two new Trek mountain bicycles worth $400 at the race. Bike Lane also donated 60 10-speed road bikes to the ACHIEVE’s program at the beginning of the summer.
Clearly, Camp ACHIEVE and the ATC were successful this summer. Camp ACHIEVE expanded to a third DC location and held a USAT-sanctioned triathlon for over 60 kids. Camp ACHIEVE is a positive step for youth development in triathlon and DC’s youth. Many kids from ATC showed an increased interested in triathlon by racing in multiple triathlons this season. ATC also experienced an increase in members. Best of all, the kids were very happy with their respective programs and learning about triathlon. Long-term success of the kids in both of the camp- and school-based programs depends on many factors, such as, an opportunity to exercise and having a continuous triathlon training program. Hopefully, the new kid triathletes will find a balance between the camp- and school-based programs in order to enjoy training and racing in triathlons in the “Fittest City in the US.”
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