It just seems counterintuitive. If you have a little one who won't wake up to get to school on time, have them train for a triathlon. But that's what is happening at Morningside Elementary in Virginia-Highland. In spring 2016, physical education teacher Aly Nussear started a triathlon club for students in K-5. The club now consists of 57 students who arrive for training during the school year at 7:15 a.m! "I have had at least a dozen parents say, 'My kid never wants to get up but on triathlon days, they are tugging on me to get up,'" Nussear says. What would turn even sleepyheads into triathletes? "It is cool," Nussear says. Watch out, parents. She is coming after you next.
Q: Talk about the importance of kids staying fit.
A: Exercising, getting enough sleep and eating well. All of that affects academics. There is plenty of research that shows that.
Q: For people who don’t know, what does a triathlon involve?
A: There are really five parts. The sports are swimming, cycling and running. Then there are two transitions that you do from one sport to another. Triathlons geared to the youth are challenging enough to make it hard but still doable. The two kindergarteners who did the last triathlon had to swim two laps in the pool, bike almost three miles then run a half mile. The older kids swam four laps, biked four miles and ran a half mile.
Q: Are you a triathlete?
A: I started doing triathlons about four years ago and I got the bug. It dawned on me, "Why don't I bring this passion to my kids and see if it catches?" I asked my principal and she looked like, "What in the world are you talking about?" We don't even have a pool. But she gave me permission. In the last triathlon before school let out, 47 of my kids participated.
Q: Can you describe the bug?
A: A triathlon is just exciting and really fun. There is this adrenalin. You are working against yourself as well as against others. There are so many challenging components to a triathlon that each one helps you become better for the next one.
Q: How does the club work?
A: When kids say they want to be on a tri team, I say, can you swim? If they aren't swimming outside of school, there is nothing I can do. I have a mixture of girls and boys. The students have to commit to doing at least one triathlon. They also have to be at the gym every Tuesday and Thursday by 7:15 — school starts at 8. I came up with games that we do that create a level of aerobic activity and fitness in a fun environment. The kids get on scooters and lie on their tummies to simulate swimming and pull themselves into what we call transition. I raised almost $2,000 to buy 50 transition mats to help them organize their equipment. I also bought race belts for them to put their race numbers on and shoe laces they don't have to tie.
Q: The parts you work on at school are the transitions and the running?
A: Yes. In May, most of the kids brought their bicycles to school and we would work outside on the basketball court. As far as their endurance with swimming, biking and running, they have to work on those things outside of school. The more they get into it, the more they are going to want to practice at home.
Q: Why do you think the kids are so into it?
A: It is something brand new, and they get to be part of a school team. They love that. They also love hearing their names on the morning announcements when we tell who is going to a triathlon. I can't tell you what the magic is. My goal is to open this up to parents, to grow this group, to make it a community family thing.
About the Author
