Youth in training
By Phyllis Moore
Published in News on May 11, 2016 1:46 PM
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Saylor Johnson, 11, and Rylee Fields, 11, hold hands and laugh as they run around the indoor running track at the Goldsboro Family Y. Rylee had started walking because she was tired and Saylor grabbed her hand to encourage her to keep running. Trifectas triathlon team members inspire their children to encourage each other while they train for the group's upcoming youth triathlon.
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Katie Nichols, left, 12, and her sister, Ava, 9, get ready to swim laps in the pool at the Goldsboro Family Y. They are part of a group of kids whose parents are members of the Trifectas triathlon team that is organizing a triathlon for youth in the area in next month.
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Urban Johnson, 7, empties water out of his goggles Thursday while swimming in the pool at the Goldsboro Family Y.
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Ava Nichols, 9, swims in the pool at the Goldsboro Family Y Thursday.
Members of Trifectas, the Goldsboro triathlon team, are used to expending their energies in training and competing in the areas of swimming, biking and running -- even if only for their own personal best.
An outgrowth of that was the notion of paying it forward and giving back to the community Dr. Greg Nichols, a physician at Goldsboro Ob/Gyn and member of the Trifectas.
"It's had such a positive impact for us. We not only come together for the exercise, but a friendship kind of blossomed out of it. The kids have become friends," he said.
The relationships sparked the idea for a youth triathlon, for children ages 6-15.
"We would really like kids to be involved," Dr. Nichols said. "I just see how physically unfit kids are these days. A third of children are either overweight or obese -- from the 1970s to the 2000s the number of kids that are obese or overweight has tripled.
"It's not a good trend. Our body's built to work, built to be active."
Environmental influences, from eating habits to lack of exercise, are contributing factors to the epidemic of an overweight generation, he said. But he is convinced that no parents want to see their children grow up unhealthy.
Trifecta members Scott Johnson, co-owner of Jesse's Upholstery, and Ray Fields, an inspector for the city of Goldsboro, are both 43. They also have children and say the idea of kid-size triathlon makes sense.
Instead of intense competition, though, it will be geared to fun.
"Things that we did when we were little -- ride your bikes, swim, run," said Johnson.
"It's not to make everybody a triathlete," Dr. Nichols said. "See how much fun you can have. When you're exercising with others, with friends, hopefully exercise becomes a way of life.
"When I was a kid, if I had to stay inside, it was either because I was sick or I was being punished."
The men hope to get parents, as well as youth, to "buy-in" to the notion of taking a break from the electronic devices and going outside.
"It might not make them a triathlete but they may fall in love with one aspect," Fields said.
"The goal is not to see who's the best or who's the winner. Our emphasis is, if you're competing, you're a winner," Dr. Nichols said. "Take pride in signing up and enjoy the activity. It should not be a chore. It should be fun."
Johnson's own journey produced some impressive results, losing 70 pounds and improving his health. The father of four says another by-product he sees benefiting participants is increased confidence and self-esteem.
"All of us came to this club initially with different goals but all of us, with the proper training, were able to do more than we thought," Dr. Nichols said of the Trifectas. "We really try to de-emphasize the competition or the winning but just that the win is in doing it."
"We consider the win is in getting out there and trying it," Fields said.
The Goldsboro YMCA, in conjunction with the Goldsboro triathlon team, is sponsoring the youth triathlon on June 25, with hopes of having up to 200 participants from ages 6-15.
It will be held at the YMCA starting at 8 a.m.
"They don't have to have any special equipment," Dr. Nichols pointed out. "Just a bike, helmet, tennis shoes, swimsuit and goggles.
"We really want it to be open to anybody who's interested. You don't have to be a member of the Y for this."
Breakdown for the triathlon will be as follows: Ages 6-8, 25-meter swim, one-mile bike and one-half-mile run; Ages 10-12, 50-meter swim, two-mile bike and one-mile run; and ages 13-15, 75-meter swim, three-mile bike, two-mile run.
There will be two free clinics held in advance, but participants can also train on their own, the organizers said. The swim clinic will be held this Sat., May 14, from 10-11 a.m., meeting in the lobby of the YMCA. A biking and running clinic will take place there on May 21, 10-11 a.m., in front of the Y.
Registration can be done in advance or on the day of the event. Cost is $25 per person. Forms are available at the YMCA, or online at www.runtheeast.com under the running calendar for July.
The men said they hope to see this grow into an annual event.
"The hospital is the primary sponsor for this and several groups in town are also going to be sponsors," Dr. Nichols said. "This is just something that was kind of planted a few years ago to kind of pay it forward for the kids.
"It's kind of like a paradigm shift away from being sedentary. We need to rediscover the kid in ourselves."