I started running in 2013 at the age of 41 as a means to lose weight and improve my health. Always looking for something different and a new challenge to take me out of my comfort zone, I signed up for my first duathlon event in 2017 at the age of 46 and immediately fell in love with the challenge of the run-bike-run format. Duathlons are my chance to test my athleticism and improve my performance with each race. This is my time to push my personal potential and see what can accomplish.
Since 2017, I have participated in and completed twenty-two (22) duathlons in every distance from super sprint to long course, including two trips to the USAT Duathlon National Championships. Of the 22, I have reached the podium in either my age-group, Male Masters, or Male Overall seventeen (17) times. My ultimate goal as a duathlete is to one day qualify to be on Team USA to compete in the ITU Multisport World Championships.
Regardless of race, gender, age, religion, or ethnicity, duathlons are a great sport to maintain an active and healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, there really aren’t any duathletes that look like me in the sport who could serve as a role model or inspiration. My biggest hope is that by sharing my experiences participating in duathlons, it will inspire other people who look like me to sign up to give it a try. Representation matters because it shows the potential of who we can become through hard work, dedication, and commitment.