RIDE LIKE THE WIND

WRITER: LEIGH NEELY

Clermont City Council member Diane Travis is a woman on the move. Not only does she have a successful real estate agency beside the Citrus Tower, she is a competitive duathlete, meaning when she’s competing, she runs, rides her bike, and runs again. She recently was selected as an honorable mention for USA Triathlon’s Women’s Grand Masters Duathlete of the Year.

This award puts her among the nation’s best age group, junior, and elite run-bike-run athletes in sprint distance. Sprint is a shorter distance than olympic.

“I qualified for nationals last year; in fact, I won the gold metal in distance and qualified for the world championships in Spain,” Diane says. “I don’t think I’ll be going to Spain because it’s two weeks before nationals in Oregon, and that’s too much traveling.”

In the future, Diane and her fellow athletes hope to see these competitions become part of school sports. It would be great to have the program in all of the schools.

For her, much of the enjoyment comes from meeting people and making friends around the world.