7 minute read
‘It just had everything’
WRITTEN BY JACK FREDERICK | CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS BY TOMMY ZAFERES
Olympic triathlete now calls Cary home
Katie Zaferes and her husband, Tommy, who is also a triathlete, say Cary's parks, greenways and athletic facilities were a big draw when they were looking for a place to make their home.
— Katie Zaferes
IF YOU HAVEN’T RUN INTO Katie Zaferes around town yet, the odds are you might soon. A decorated triathlete and Olympian, Zaferes recently tacked on another title to her impressive resume — Cary resident.
Despite no prior connection to North Carolina, Cary felt like home to the world-class female triathlete when she and her husband, Tommy, visited last summer. The couple had been looking to relocate from California to be closer to family in Maryland, and Cary checked all the boxes.
“We’ve traveled so much that we know what we like, and what we want in places, so it didn’t take us long to figure out that the area was for us,” Zaferes said. “It never seemed scary. We bought our house without even seeing it, because we knew what we wanted.”
In particular, Katie and Tommy Zaferes — who both have a background in competitive triathlon — were impressed by the town’s parks and greenways. The couple plans to make Cary their permanent home, eventually settling here after spending most of the previous seven years living out of a suitcase.
“I love the adventures now I’m having on the road,” Zaferes said. “But I’m so excited for when we are really settled down and get to explore more of Cary in a different way, and see it through different phases of our life.”
Zaferes, whose favorite post-triathlon food is a egg-topped burger and cookie dough ice cream, looks forward to exploring more restaurants in Cary, too.
For now, the town has served as a suitable training ground during the pandemic for the 32-year-old, who is a gold-medal favorite expected to represent Team USA in the Tokyo Olympics this summer. The change of scenery has helped Zaferes remain focused on her ultimate goal, even after the Olympics were postponed due to COVID.
“It was hard because, for a bit of time, we just didn’t know what was happening with the Olympics,” she said. “Once we found out it was postponed, it was a little bit easier to handle. But then the uncertainty of whether we’re going to race and living with my parents, which is very comfortable, but not necessarily high-performance, that was challenging.”
Zaferes has enjoyed running, biking and swimming all over the Triangle, but some of her favorite spots are running through Umstead State Park, Bond Park, White Oak Greenway and American Tobacco Trail. She has also been swimming at the Triangle Aquatic Center and biking along quieter roads, where she can push the intensity.
Katie Zaferes trains in Girona, Spain, with her coach, Joel Filliol, and several other Olympic triathletes.
Attracting the top female triathlete in the world is a huge endorsement for the Town of Cary’s investment in parks, greenways and other athletic facilities.
“It’s incredible,” said Doug McRainey, director of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Resources. “And it makes you proud, because you’re looking at 20 to 25 years’ worth of investment the town has put in.”
With Cary now part of her story, Zaferes aims to take the next step in her career this summer after reaching new professional heights in recent years.
She ran in her first triathlon with her dad in 2007, but began competing professionally in 2013, after a fouryear career running long distance on the Syracuse cross country and track and field teams. By 2016, she was selected to represent Team USA at the Rio Olympics, where she finished 18th — a disappointing performance she hasn’t forgotten.
Since then, Zaferes has honed her physical and mental training, setting a path to winning the International Triathlon Union World Championship in 2019, a career highlight up to this point.
“Katie’s progression since the 2016 Games has been a process of refinement across the three sports and how she approaches the races from a psychological point of view, as well as managing the ups and downs of the daily training more effectively,” said Joel Filliol, Zaferes’ coach. “Through these evolutions, she has been able to reach the top of the podium and contributed to her overall win in the 2019 World Championships.”
Zaferes left Cary for Spain in April to begin fine tuning her training with Filliol, alongside a collection of other international triathletes ahead of the Olympics. This time around, armed with experience and a host of accomplishments, Zaferes is confident she is ready to handle the world’s brightest spotlight on her.
“I feel like every year has built up to this point, that I feel ready to handle myself in the Olympics and really enjoy the experience and really do well,” she said. “I think it’s just been really maturing, and having that first experience to learn a lot from.”
Zaferes is expected to compete in the Olympic women’s triathlon on July 27. She is also looking to compete in the mixed-relay on July 31, an event new to the Olympics this year. t
Riding to Victory
V Foundation event raises money for cancer research
WRITTEN BY JACK FREDERICK | CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS FROM THE V FOUNDATION
FRAN POWELL had been searching for her purpose in living with cancer since she was diagnosed with the disease in 2010. When she discovered the V Foundation’s Victory Ride last year, getting back on her bicycle became the answer.
“I’m very excited and very passionate about wanting to help the V Foundation, because I just feel like I finally figured out what I was supposed to do with this, like what I am supposed to do with what was given to me,” said Powell, who lives in Raleigh. “If it can inspire others and motivate others, then that’s definitely what I want to do.”
Powell, 65, has endometrial cancer that has spread to her lungs, but that hasn’t stopped her plan to participate in her second Victory Ride this summer as a rider. The annual V Foundation event raises awareness and funding for research into cancer, a disease that 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with in their lifetime.
All of the funds raised by riders like Powell will benefit cancer research — including locally at Duke Cancer Institute, UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center and the Wake Forest Baptist Health Comprehensive Cancer Center. Entering its fourth year, the event presented by Braswell Family Farms has raised over $650,000.
This year, the Victory Ride will begin July 28 with “My Victory Month,” a virtual experience where riders can cover miles on their own, leading into an inperson race day that starts at N.C. State’s Centennial Campus Aug. 28. On the day of the Victory Ride, riders can choose how to participate, with a variety of distances to accommodate cyclists of all skill levels, from 10 to 100 miles.
With in-person and virtual components, the event prioritizes the health and safety of cyclists during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Holding a safe and responsible event continues to be our first priority,” said Evan Morris, director of community events at the V Foundation, in a written statement. “In addition, our late summer event date allows more time for riders to train safely.”
Last year’s event spurred Powell to complete 400 miles, completing 10 miles per day. This summer, she aims to outdo her previous total, tallying as many as 500 miles. Spending time on the bike has been an engaging activity that has kept her active, especially during the pandemic.
“It was like it lit a fire under me,” Powell said. “Once I got started, who would have thought that at my age bike riding was so much fun again.”
Participating in the Victory Ride has also given her a connection to meet other cancer survivors and fighters, and also provided an avenue for friends and family to help. During last year’s ride, Powell raised $1,275.
“When you give, you get so much back,” she said. “All I did was say I was riding, and all of these people gave me so much encouragement.”
The V Foundation was started by ESPN and longtime N.C. State basketball coach Jim Valvano in 1993. That same year, Valvano died of metastatic cancer. In the time since then, the V Foundation has funded more than $250 million in cancer research grants.
To register for the Victory Ride or donate to a rider, visit thevictoryride.org.
A rider participating in the 2019 Victory Ride rolls past a banner printed with encouraging words from former N.C. State basketball coach Jim Valvano.
