More cycling heroines

I was encouraged to read this article in my local paper today. Especially seeing as how I'm 46 and always considered my non-athletic before I started biking. :) There is hope!

********

Trio of Kelowna women to challenge world’s best
By Don Plant
Thursday, November 9, 2006, 12:01 AM


Three Kelowna women have juggled kids, full-time jobs and countless hours of training to represent Canada at the world triathlon championship in Australia this month.

Kim Jollymore, Jennifer Leach-Trask and Kim Froom have qualified for the world championship long-course triathlon in Canberra. They’ll swim four kilometres, cycle 130 km and run 30 km among hundreds of athletes on Nov. 19.

The women, part of the 48-member Canadian team, not only share a passion for long-distance races. Each of them is over age 45.

“I like the training and the appeal of working hard to stay fit,” said Leach-Trask, 51. “It’s really helped me with my mental discipline, focus and job.”
As the only Canadian woman in her age group (50-54), you’d think Leach-Trask had been competing in triathlons since her 20s. In fact, she started training six years ago.

Her job with Air Canada put her in contact with athletes at sporting events, prompting her to quit smoking and vow to lose weight in 1997.

“I started running at night in the dark so no one could see me,” she said. “Months later, I broke into daylight. My first event was the Vancouver marathon.”

Froom, 46, tells a similar story. As manager and lead trainer at iQuest athletic centre, the single mother of two never considered herself a natural athlete. Now, she gets four hours sleep a night and rises at 4 a.m. for her daily run.

“I don’t have the genetic talent a lot of athletes have. For me, it’s about hard work. If you want to do something, you put in the time,” she said.
Jollymore, 47, ran triathlons in her 20s, but stopped when she had two children. Once they reached a certain age, she rekindled her zeal for the sport. She placed second in her age group at this year’s Apple Triathlon and Osoyoos Half Ironman, and finished third in her age group at last year’s world championship short-course triathlon in Honolulu.

To prepare for Australia, where the temperature is expected to reach the high 20s, Jollymore wears extra clothes while she trains.

Jollymore and Leach-Trask, who work out together under coach Kari Bailey, plan to spend half an hour in the sauna three times this week.

How different is competing as a triathlete when you’re in your 40s?

“Your body doesn’t recover as well,” Jollymore said. “You have to be a smarter athlete when you get older. You can’t over-train … You gain maturity and common sense as you get older.”

Money is another challenge. All three have saved up thousands of dollars for the trip. Jollymore and Leach-Trask have some of their expenses covered by sponsorships, but Froom is paying the whole shot.

“As a single person, I need to take time off. If anyone is trying to do something athletic, it’s on your own and it’s hard work,” she said.
There’s no reward money for the age-group competitors. Still, all three get to tour Australia once the race is over. And they hope to achieve something priceless – the satisfaction of completing a punishing race that lasts eight to 10 hours.

“I love it,” said Jollymore. “It’s a challenge, it’s a healthy lifestyle. It’s great.”

For Froom, there’s also the thrill of wearing the maple leaf half a world away and the prospect of inspiring others.

“To go from someone who never considered herself a sports person to someone representing her country in a world long-course championship is … really about, if I can do it, anyone can.”

© Thursday, November 9, 2006Copyright KelownaDailyCourier.ca

Very inspiring!