TRIATHLETES
Sharing a love for competition, the school’s athletes dive into the positive influence of participating in triathlons BY ALEXANDER BRAZDA AND FERNANDO LARGAESPADA, STAFF WRITERS
M
OTIVATED TO CONQUER the finish lines ahead, triathletes across the country combine swimming, biking and running to complete their triathlons. The availability of flat surfaces and optimal weather give the city’s
inhabitants the ability to fully compete. Through the versatility of triathlons, students at the school have maximized the popular sport to spend time towards physical and mental self-improvement. With competition in mind, the school’s athletes
explore the city’s outdoors while putting time into developing various athletic skills. Hoping to promote healthy lifestyles, sophomore Sofia Rodriguez and senior Alexandre Chevalier share their experiences as young triathletes.
SOFIA RODRIGUEZ
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Inspired by her younger sophomore Sofia Rodriguez began competing in triathlons in seventh grade. Visiting his practices allowed her to envision the team dynamic and understand the lifechanging benefits of joining a triathlon team. “My sister has a strong work ethic and that can be shown through the effort she puts into excelling at triathlon,” brother Luis Rodriguez said. Although the school does not have a triathlon team, Rodriguez trains and competes with Tri4Kidz, a triathlon team in Key Biscayne. Ever since she has become friends with
her triathlon teammates, Rodriguez has felt even more excited and dedicated to spend her time playing the sport. Remaining aware of her athletic strengths, her favorite portion of the race is swimming because she has been doing it the longest and the variety of swimming strokes makes it more entertaining for her. By gaining a lead in the swimming duration of the race, Rodriguez tries to maintain an advantage throughout the rest of the competition. However, since she has the least experience with competitive running, she focuses the most on running training so she can overall improve her race time. Combining her intense training and athletic skills, Rodriguez has used triathlons as motivation to maintain a healthier lifestyle. In order to prepare for a race, she eats more nutritious foods to keep her energy levels up and stay hydrated. “Triathlon has helped me better my mental health especially with COVID-19 and online schooling,” Rodriguez said. “I get to clear my mind for about an hour a day, allowing myself to be away from my laptop and stress.” Rodriguez typically competes in six races a year, her best
time in a race being about 30 minutes. While COVID-19 has prohibited the availability of races, she has maintained her athletic routine by training five days per week, from Monday through Thursday during the afternoon and on Saturday mornings. Her team dedicates one day every week to each segment of the race during the weekdays while they practice all three skills during the weekend. “Sofia is a good triathlete because not only does she enjoy doing it, but she is always focused during her practices,” mother Lucia Ruiz said. “The best part is seeing her be happy while racing and spending time with her teammates.” Rodriguez’s most notable wins were the Daytona challenge two years in a row in 2019 and 2020. Due to the high number of competitors, Rodriguez was excited with her accomplishments at the race, especially because the Daytona racetrack. In addition, she won multiple local triathlons and placed in the top five in the Meek and Mighty race in St. Petersburg in 2019. “I really try my best to stay on top and give it my all so that I am happy with my results,” Rodriguez said. “The most important part for me is to enjoy racing and being with my team as well as doing the best that I can.”
