Triple threats
When you think of triathlons, a couple images are more commonly thought of: masses of people swimming over top of each other, groups of cyclists flying by on back roads and runners doing their best to reach the finish line.
Kids in those races, however, are less likely to come to mind. But it can be done, and six Mountain Brook girls aren’t just competing — they’re placing in the top of their races.
With a club name of Tri-Spartan — officially chosen as a group Jan. 9 — Ella Kate Wright (11), Kennedy Hamilton (12), Libby Geisler (12), Ann Gibson Hamilton (6), Cayman Hamilton (9) and Grayson Crowe (11) have competed across the Southeast in triathlons.
It all started when Kaci Hamilton, who did triathlons with her dad when she was younger and still is competitive in them today with her husband, wanted her daughters to try the sport.
“We caught wind of one in Auburn that was just for kids, and I had never heard of that concept,” she said. Kennedy Hamilton was one of the first to go, and she said the first time she did it, she really liked it. Soon, she was competing with her sisters and friends.
They all agreed that finishing a triathlon seemed like a fun and cool idea when they first started, and after completing a few, that feeling still stands. When asked what they enjoyed about doing triathlons, the girls’ answers included prepping on race morning, the race itself and simply “everything.” The snacks after the race are a good bonus, too, they agreed.
The standard distances for adult triathlons can vary, ranging from sprint (about a half-mile swim, 14- to 15-mile bike and 3.1-mile run) to a full Ironman (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run), but the kid races, Kaci Hamilton said, are tailored to their age.
Ann Gibson Hamilton’s first race was in the “tiny tot” division, and she ran through a splash pad, rode a balance bike (a children’s bike without pedals) and ran through a maze. Other races are divided into age groups, and the races get longer depending on the age. For the 6 to 9 year-olds, it’s typically a 250-meter swim, 6-mile bike and 2-mile run, Kaci Hamilton said.
“It’s the appropriate distance for them,” she said. “The kids’ safety is above all else.”
But that doesn’t mean they aren’t challenging.
All the girls have a different part of triathlons that is hard for them — “I can do it all separate, but it’s harder when you do it all together,” Geisler said — but they are all active in their day-to-day lives and use that to help them train. Across the six, they do Girls on the Run, swim team, basketball and sometimes go on bike rides together.
“Eventually, the distances will get greater where they don’t have a choice. Training is coming for them,” Kaci Hamilton said, laughing. They also do some conditioning and weights classes that help keep their stamina up, and Kaci Hamilton helps the girls practice transitions between triathlon segments.
Even though it’s a tiring endurance race, the families have grown to look forward to their weekend trips when the girls get to compete and cheer each other on. The girls said they do triathlons because they enjoy them and get to meet new people while supporting one another. “We’re all athletic, so it’s like a fun, active thing to do,” Geisler said.
“And we get to spend the weekend together,” Wright said.
Their parents agreed, too, that choosing this sport has led them to strong friendships and helped them learn the value of setting goals and the feeling of accomplishment that can accompany reaching them.
While the girls are still in the age-group division for triathlons, they agreed they want to keep competing in them, even as the distances get longer. Eventually, some might even look to finishing an Ironman.