The ASU
Triathlon Club plans to lend a helping hand to a local youth organization
with its upcoming triathlon Sunday, April 27.
The triathlon will begin at 9 a.m. and consist of a 300-yard swim,
a 16.3-mile bike ride and a 5-kilometer run. Proceeds from the event
will benefit the Watauga Youth Network.
The event will begin at the Watauga Swim Complex in Boone, then
venture through Blowing Rock to the Blue Ridge Parkway for the bike
ride. The run takes place along the trails at State Farm fields.
Senior health promotions major Khalisa M. Bolling is a member of
the triathlon committee for the club. The triathlon committee is
in charge of planning each event.
Bolling said she joined the club because of her love of triathlons.
She saw the great deal of support offered by the club she needed
to continue competing in races.
She also joined the club to meet other triathletes and to improve
her skills of running, biking and swimming. She said she will still
participate in triathlons when she graduates.
“I think it’s something I will try to keep up for a while,”
Bolling said.
Senior special education major Rachel A. Jackson is also an active
member of the Triathlon Club. She said the club promotes the sport
of triathlon for all levels, from beginners to the serious competitor.
“I love the challenge of an endurance sport, as well as the
friendship that is able to develop from it,” Jackson said.
The club has roughly eight races a year at which the whole team
competes, but since triathlon is more of an individual sport, each
member of the club may participate in more than the set number of
team races a year.
Jackson said the club does more than just participate in triathlons.
The members hold swim clinics, bike maintenance clinics, social
events and invite speakers to speak on various topics. The club
was started in 1998, according to the University Recreation Web
site. Meeting times vary, but the club meets twice a month.
“We are trying to support the sport in the area and give athletes
a chance to enjoy the challenging but scenic riding in our area,”
Jackson said. “The race also gives a chance for collegiate
triathletes to compete against each other as we offer a collegiate
division.”
“We also raise money for an organization in Boone,” Jackson
said.
The upcoming triathlon is not the first time the club has held an
event to support the Watauga Youth Network. Jackson said last year
the group raised over a thousand dollars for the organization.
Registration forms for the race can be found at www.set-upinc.com,
under the tab for “other races.”
Jackson said volunteers are still needed to help out at the race.
Interested individuals may contact Jackson at RJ38101@appstate.edu
or 262-3239.
