World champ jumps on board local event

WHILE seasoned and beginner triathletes are preparing for this year’s Torquay Triathlon, so are the region’s smallest competitors, with the help of a world champion.

The Torquay Triathlon will land on the Surf Coast on November 9 and for the first time will include a children’s category.

Former world triathlon champion Jo King has taken on some of the junior’s keen on competing in this year’s event, getting them ready to take the starting line.

With triathlons being Ms King’s livelihood for more than 10 years, she started training her own children – aged 11 and 13 – in the sport and also took on a coaching role with School Sports Victoria.

“I started with our own kids having an interest in it and they’re dragging along a lot of their friends as well.Getting back involved in the sport in a coaching capacity is really exciting, I feel like I can give back to the sport now with all my experience.”

Comprising swim, bike and run legs, triathlons expose participants to three different sports within the event.

The children’s event includes shorter distances that are more achievable for them, with Ms King working with them in speed training and coaching them through some of the different challenges.

“Running at a national level for juniors, the most the run is 2km, they most they swim to is 200m to 300m until they get to about age 15, so it’s a lot of speed stuff. It’s a lot of speed stuff on the bike, a lot of bike skills because some of the kids are riding road bikes, which is very different to a mountain bike, that’s a skill in itself learning to ride on a road instead of a footpath. There’s a lot of elements in teaching juniors the sport, even for juniors, swimming in the open water is quite a challenge, where there’s no black line, they get quite scared when they go over their head.”

Ms King encouraged more juniors to get involved with the triathlon with the hopes more people get involved in the sport.

For the adults, their category will include a 400m swim, 15km ride and 4km run.The event will be officially opened by Surf Coast Shire mayor Mike Bodsworth. For more information and to enter, head to torquaytri.com.au