Article January 1, 2003 ISSUE

A triathlete who pushes the limits

by Guy Walker,—Glendora, California

I competed in my first triathlon on April 22, 2001. At the time, I was thirteen. I was real nervous, because I didn't know what to expect. But it ended up being easy and fun.

The following December, my friends Amanda and Matt said they were going to do a triathlon called a half-Ironman, which is more difficult (a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride, and a 13-mile run). I talked to my dad about my signing up, and he was all for it.

The race was in May, so I had five months to train. I ran every day with the cross-country and track teams at school, and every other day I'd bike or swim at a community college.

Before the race, many people told me I was too young to be doing a triathlon. They thought doing all those events at once would somehow damage my body. But I felt that God would help me during the races, and that everything would be fine. Before the triathlon, my dad helped me pray about it. We talked about a verse in the Bible that says, “But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31 ). We also discussed the words to a hymn, which say, “Take my feet, and let them be / Swift and beautiful for Thee” (Christian Science Hymnal, No. 324 ). The Bible verse and the words from the hymn helped a lot.

Before the race, I was really nervous, but once the gun went off, the fear went away and I started to have fun. Everyone in the race was helpful to me. I was the youngest competitor, and everyone I passed, or those who passed me during the race, said, “Good job” or “Keep it going.”

I felt that God was giving me the strength to finish.

The biggest fear I had was the swim. It's like a contact sport, because there are 2,000 people in the water at the same time. About every sixth stroke, we had to put our heads up to see if we were swimming straight. I didn't really worry about sharks, but my dad said there was a seal swimming around all of us. I thought that was pretty cool.

The bike part was great. In that race, I used my dad's Serotta bike, because he had the best bike in the family. It had light, skinny tires.

After the bike ride, I was all “pumped up” 'cause I knew the run was my best event. The run was a flat, two-loop course. I took the first loop really fast. But on the second loop I started to get tired, and I was beginning to get cramps. I had to walk quite a bit. That made me feel discouraged.

I knew my family was praying for me throughout the race, and that helped me keep going. I started to walk, and then started to run again. I was tired in the race, but I kept telling myself that I knew I had divine support the whole way through. I really felt that God was giving me the strength to finish.

When I reached the finish line, the announcer gave my age and name. He also mentioned that I was the youngest person in the race. The whole crowd in the amphitheater started to cheer. That made all the effort worth it.

Since then, I've finished more than five other triathlons.

Doing triathlons has taught me that there's no limit to what you can do when you depend on God for your strength and endurance.

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