Youth & Jr National Championships - LATC & TTS Team Reaches New Heights
The first weekend in August continues to reveal the future of our sport. The USAT Junior Elite National Championships took place in Cincinnati, Ohio on August 3 & 4 of 2013 and the LA Tri Club-TTS team sent our biggest squad yet with 15 athletes representing. The Junior Elite events are draft legal - this is the format of triathlon in the Olympics and that's the goal for many present at this event.
Junior Elite Female. The day began with a steady but light rain and at 8am when 50 of the nations best 16-19 year old athletes dove off the floating dock and into the lake for the 750m swim. Hannah Rae Finchamp was out of the water 3rd, thirty seconds behind Tamara Gorman and Devon Dabney and 22 seconds up on a group of 10 athletes including great runners like Katie Gorczyca and Malia Ellington. This is a familiar situation with Hannah Rae at several Junior Elite Cups this year and with the wet roads, the mildly technical bike course and her exceptional cycling skills - Hannah Rae executed the race plan of going alone. At the end of the first 5k lap, she had built 5 seconds onto her lead over the chase pack, at the end of lap 2 she was up another 3 seconds. But as the roads dried out and the chase pack found inspiration they shrunk that gap and collected Hannah Rae at the start of the fourth and final lap. The 15k alone in the wind had taken its toll and Hannah Rae ran a 19:39 5k off the bike for 9th place. Hannah Rae was crowned the winner of the Junior Elite Cup series and took solace atop that podium at this, the final event.
Junior Elite Male. The rain stopped, the roads dried up and the maximum field of seventy-five 16-19 year old males took to the pontoon for the start. A group of 16 exited the water in roughly 9 minutes and 20 seconds to form the first pack and included in there were LA Tri Club - TTS athletes Dillon Nobbs, Ryan Reede and Alec Wilimovsky. Joey Tamusaitis and our newest member, Erik Armes were a minute back in chase packs. Joey who has been nursing an injury still kept it under 20 min for his 5k and finished proud and Erik who is just back in the states after 3 years on base in Okinawa missed serving his penalty on the run course and took a DNF on the day. Not a let down by any means, Erik was there for experience and got plenty. We'll see great things over then 3 years from both these 16 year olds. Dillon, Ryan and Alec rode hard within the lead pack in an attempt to keep at bay good runners like Tony Morales who chased at 30 seconds behind in pack two. Off the bike Ryan ran a nice 17:18 for 18th place and Alec held on for 25th. Dillon ran the first lap shoulder to shoulder with Tony Smoragiewicz, Brent Demarest and Hunter Honeycutt (who would finish one, two, three respectively). Dillon, who last year was 8th at this event, finished a satisfying 4th with a 15:51 5k.
Youth Elite Female. There were sixty eight in the 13-15 year old Youth Elite Female division. The distances are: 375m swim, 10k bike and 2.5k run and the athletes demonstrate the capability of swimming at 1:20pace in open water, riding at 21mph average and running 6 min pace. LA Tri Club - TTS athletes Andrea Arriaga, Mara Muslea and Gabrielle Niko all stepped up with personal bests on the day.
Youth Elite Male. Racing at the same age and same distance as the Youth Elite Females, the boys dove in off the pontoon in a field of 70 strong. Duncan Reid tore it up with a second pack swim, powerful bike and by running 5:34 pace off the bike for a 13th place finish. Matthew Paragas has a typically brilliant swim crashed on the bike. He re-mounted the bike with road rash in many places and raced on but a head cut and the resulting blood running down his neck and chest gave us all a scare and he wisely pulled off before the bikes conclusion to seek treatment. He received a few stitches in his head and flew home the next day stiff and sore but otherwise okay.
Mixed Relay. The ITU is pushing the IOC to take additional triathlete events into the Olympic Games. The one being pushed the hardest is the Mixed Relay: two males, two females racing a very short swim/bike/run course before tagging the next teammate to do the same. LA Tri Club - TTS Team #1 went in with strong expectations: Katie Gorczyca (on loan from Sharon Osgood's MBM team) dove off, swam strong, rode hard and ran well to put us into 6th place before the tag to Alec. He closed the gap with a blistering swim and brought us into 5th spot. Hannah Rae took the tag with a 30 second gap to 4th. Out of the water that gap was cut to 15 seconds and by the time Hannah Rae stepped off the bike we were in 3rd. Dillon took the last leg against a strong group of "closers". He was out of the water in 3rd and got help with uber biker Patrick Bieszke (fastest solo split of the race) rode up to Dillon. Dillon missed the dismount line by inches and earned a 10 second penalty. His run put a gap on Patrick, but 10 seconds in the tent let Patrick go by and even Dillon's all out 200m sprint to the finish left Patrick 2 seconds ahead and our team took 4th place. A great race!!! LATC-TTS Team #2 had Jocelyn (on load from a squad in Reno) lead off with an amazing swim and solid bike/run. She tagged Tristan (on loan from a team in Denver after Matthew's crash the day prior left him off the start list. Tristan held as best he could and tagged off to Andrea whose bike is so strong that she passed over a dozen athletes on her way through leg three. Duncan closed with the 5th fastest split out of the Youth Males - riding over 22mph and running 5:39 pace off the bike. That squad finished a deeply respectable 17th. Also in the mix was Gabby who got loaned out to a team from Denver as they need a female to complete their ranks.
Youth. In addition to the draft legal racing there are some crazy fast 7-15 year olds who race a non-draft format for their own championship. Our team took home two podium spots: both Zane Grenoble (13) and Alex Mainvielle (10) stepped up with great races. Frankie Reid also had a great race finishing 8th (11).
LA TRI Club Gives Scholarship Grant to Help 32 Needy Kids Learn to Swim with Non-Profit ‘One with the Water’ and CoachArt
Los Angeles, CA — June 25, 2013 — One with the Water®, a non-profit swim school dedicated to teaching life-changing swimming skills to kids and adults — many of them with disabilities or special needs — was honoured for its mission and achievements this June with a generous grant from the Los Angeles Triathlon Club earmarked for 32 special-needs students and at-risk youth. The grant will cover a complete program of small-group swim lessons, taking each child from no water experience to basic water safety and swimming ability — all in about four hours, or eight sessions at the Culver City Municipal Plunge.
The 2,000 member, thirteen-year-old LA Tri Club has recently expanded its focus to include philanthropy, founding the Coast2Coast Swim Challenge to help raise money for under-served and at-risk youth to learn basic water skills that can prevent tragic incidents of childhood drowning. “The LA TRI Club has made an impact on kids all over the southland,” says LA TRI Club board member Larry Turkheimer. “Now, once again, we have stepped forward to help an organization have the ability to give kids the opportunity to swim, exercise, and most importantly, feel accomplished.”
Turkheimer was inspired to donate to One with the Water after seeing the benefits made from last year’s Coast2Coast Swim Challenge proceeds. “I was approached by Coach Kenneth Rippetoe of One with the Water to see if the LA TRI Club and Coast2Coast Swim Challenge would be interested in supporting their programs. Last year we helped 20 needy kids learn to swim through One with the Water. This year, One with the Water has partnered with CoachArt, a non-profit offering free lessons in the arts and athletics to patients ages 6-18 living with chronic illnesses such as Arthritis, Cancer, Cystic Fibrosis, Diabetes, HIV/AIDS, Sickle Cell Disease and severe Asthma. Siblings of patients are also included in the program.”
Grants and donations to One with the Water pay exclusively for pool space, insurance, and instruction for kids and families with limited financial means. Especially during the nation’s budget crisis, many schools lack the financial resources, personnel and facilities to provide athletic programs or physical therapy for children with special needs. One with the Water aims to fill that need, with specially-trained instructors and a nimble, low-overhead, non-profit model of operation.
One with the Water offers competitive swim training and year-round swim instruction for children and adults with a wide variety of skill levels, from total beginner to competitive athlete. In addition to their national-level competitive swimming skills, One with the Water’s instructors are trained to work with children and adults diagnosed with autism, Asperger’s, ADD, ADHD, sensory integration, anxiety, Down and CHARGE syndrome, auditory processing disorders and dyslexiaand others. Founder and Head Coach Kenneth Rippetoe, certified by the American Swimming Coach Association Disability Level 3, was featured on the Sundance Channel’s documentary program ‘Push Girls’, working with paraplegic swimmer Mia Schaikewitz.
Since its founding, One with the Water has given out over $20,000 in scholarships to needy students and changed the lives of 400 swimmers in total. One father — whose son is on the Autism Spectrum — reported that his son “really responded to [head Coach Kenneth Rippetoe], and looks forward to his class more than anything else right now. After the first class, he suddenly looked forward to and enjoyed swimming, as opposed to dreading it. He made huge strides, the biggest he has ever made, working with [One with the Water].”
Tax-deductible donations to the “Pay-It-Forward” scholarship program of One with the Water, a 501(c)(3), can be made at the organization’s website: OneWithTheWater.org/donate.aspx.
PUR PAK making news with MACCA
LA Tri Club is pleased to share some exciting news from our sponsor, PÜR PAK
PÜR PAK LAUNCHES ALL–NATURAL ACTIVE LIFESTYLE
SUPPLEMENT IN A VARIETY OF CARBONATED FLAVORS
Wellness Company Introduces New Line of All-In-One Multivitamin And Mineral Packet
LOS ANGELES (June 11, 2013) – Pür Pak, an all-natural revolutionary line of active performance supplements, is pleased to debut its carbonated flavors – Tangy Berry, Citrus and Super Green. Launching this month, Pür Pak’s new refreshing fizzy option ensures complete, on-the-go- nutrition, is easier and tastier than ever before.
Understanding the difficulty in balancing an active lifestyle and maintaining proper nutrition, one .5 ounce packet of Pür Pak in 8 ounces of water delivers a unique combination of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, electrolytes and powerful supplements. Together these ingredients help promote a healthier immune system, replenish electrolytes, enhance physical and mental performance and provide healthy natural energy throughout the day. The all-natural ingredients combined with sodium bicarbonate give Pür Pak its light, sparkling, effervescent fizz.
Two time Ironman World Champion triathlete Chris “Macca” McCormack says it’s the best in supplementation he’s come across. “My partnership with Pür Pak was really as organic as the product itself. For me it is my complete supplementation program in a simple easy to use packet. It ensures that I can continue to train at the highest level and absorb the workloads I am doing. The powdered version ensures that greater quantities are absorbed and the quality of the ingredients selected are pharmaceutical grade so I feel it;s effects immediately, it’s quality is far superior to anything I have ever used. Without Pür Pak my preparation is not as good as it can be. I am enjoying it very much across many spectrums as an athlete”
“As a working Mom, so many things can get in the way of eating properly; with a hectic schedule it was important for me to create a product that will simplify the nutritional needs of people in search of a power packed, tasty, refreshing, natural way to get extra nutritional support throughout the day” said Gina Baski, founder of Pür Pak. “Pür Pak, is the all-in-one solution to help active people complete a balanced approach to healthy living.”
Pür Pak is packaged in .5 oz. packets and retails online for delivery. A one week sample box retails for $18, a 28 day supply box is $49 and a recurring monthly subscription for a 28-day box is $39 per month. For more information and to purchase Pür Pak, please visit www.livepurpak.com.
About Pür Pak
Three years ago TriFit Club and Studios founders Gina & Bernard Baski’s and ABC President Stephen McPherson lives intersected. As one of the busiest execs in Hollywood, Steve was at a cross roads with his health, he came to Gina & Bernard in search of a healthy solution to his high stress lifestyle. Pür Pak was born out of the Baski’s and Stephen’s personal knowledge, experience, and frustration with what they found was lacking in the marketplace; a complete, easy to use nutritional solution. World champion triathlete Chris “Macca” McCormack has recently joined forces as Pür Pak’s head brand ambassador.
After three years the team received FDA approval and finalized Pür Pak’s ingredients, Pür Pak launched into the market in 2012. All Pür Pak products are: pharmaceutical grade, gluten-free, dairy-free, GMO free, contain only 15 calories per serving and less than 2 grams of sugar, with no artificial colors or sweeteners, ultimately creating a simple and all-natural solution for healthy living.
Cardiac Screening offered June 15
http://www.scribd.com/doc/
TO REGISTER for your slot and get this important service, GO HERE:
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All are welcome to take advantage of this offer, LATCers, friends, family... the more, the merrier. Sign up today! Be safe out there.
2013 Coast 2 Coast Swim Challenge – June 2nd
LA Tri Club established the C2C three years ago to do something about the epidemic of child drownings in our community: more kids under 14 in California die from drowning than any other cause and LA County has the highest rate of near-drowning accidents in the State.
The C2C concept is simple: meet up with a couple hundred of your buddies; swim as many or as few laps as you like; get a free massage and goodies from sponsors afterwards. I'm returning for my third year at the C2C and doubt there will be a slower swimmer in the pool. At the C2C this just doesn't matter because everyone who participates is part of a winning campaign that in its first two years has raised over $40,000 and taught 1,450 LA kids how to swim. I would not miss this event because I know what it does, it HELPS young kids feel safe in the water, something most of us can not imagine. Read more about how you can swim to save lives! See you in the water on the 2nd of June.
www.Coast2CoastSwim.com
1st Annual LATC Never Evers Triathlon
LA Tri Club announces the NEVER EVERS Triathlon. This triathlon is for LA Tri Club members only and only for those who have never done a triathlon before. The LATC Never-Ever Triathlon will be held on May 19th on a course hand picked for the first timer and each participant will be paired with a veteran LA Tri Club member to serve as a mentor for our Never Ever participants.
The location is Hansen Dam Aquatic Center (in Los Angeles, NE corner of San Fernando Valley, where 118 meets the 210). The race distance is 300m-1 loop swim, 10k-3 loop bike and 2.5k-3 loop run (in imperial that's 328yd swim, 6mi bike, 1.5mi run). The swim takes place in the 4th largest swimming pool in North American. The City calls it a "swimming lake" and for good reason, this is chlorinated "lake" is a pool 150 yards long, 40 yards wide, with tapered sides and only 5 feet at the deepest point. It will provide the calmest, clearest, safest swim imaginable! The bike takes place inside the Hansen Dam Park on a closed road and, other than one small bump to manage each lap, it's a very flat course. The run is pretty flat too and mixes in trail, grass and a bit of side walk/parking lot. The multi lap format allows friends and family members to see each participant every few minute for a chance to cheer. The day ends with a picnic in the park served by a gourmet food truck.
To register for the LA Tri Club Never-Ever Event, visit our RSVP page and grab your $55 entry. This event is limited to the first 40 that sign up so don't delay.
