Kids Take the Challenge at Big Vanilla

For some local kids, last Saturday was not a typical morning. Dozens of Broadneck youngsters started their weekend bright and early—busily biking, swimming and running. 

No, it wasn’t for sports training. It was the first Junior Triathlon Challenge sponsored by in Arnold with the hopes of getting local youth more interested in fitness and the triathlon process.

“We want to help encourage youth to participate in physical activity,” said organizer Julie Lincoln, director of fitness and wellness at Big Vanilla. “Not everyone is a star athlete but if you can swim, bike and run, you can be a participant.”

According to the American Council of Exercise, obesity rates for young people have tripled since 1980 and doubled just in the last decade alone. The staff at Big Vanilla is looking to encourage kids in the 9- to 14-year-old age group to be more fit and active. 

“Our children need as much motivation to be active as we can possibly offer. We have a great swim team program and it encourages those kids to do land-based activity as well,” said Lincoln. “Cross training is important.”

Each student participant completed a 300-yard swim in the pool, a 5-mile ride on an Expresso bike, and a 1-mile run on the treadmill.

For 14-year-old Caroline Yearwood, she wanted to meet the challenge. "I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do it," she said.

For others, it was just something fun to do on the weekend. Twelve-year-old Miranda Tison said, "I'm just trying it out for fun because I've never done a triathlon before. It's fun and tiring."

Thirteen-year-old Catherine Knox said, “I don't normally get too much exercise and wanted to try something new."

That was music to the ears of Lincoln and Sandy Avery, director of aquatics at Big Vanilla, who thought this first attempt at the event was a success.

“We hope to do more, both for this age group and for adults,” said Avery.