Why should I care about triathlon equality?

As an average 35-39 age grouper, with my 4th 70.3 IRONMAN distance coming up in 30 days and numerous other triathlons to my credit, who am I? In the eyes of the triathlon industry- nobody, a number and rank in their point system. To my coach, a driven gal determined to keep PR’ing each event. To my co-workers, a crazy triathlete who uses all her vacation time to train or race. To my triathlon club friends, a spirited biker gal and average runner with bad feet and to my family, a dedicated mom and wife, who gets up at 4:30 am every morning to train and who is a winner in their eyes.

I love the sport of triathlon! This sport carried me through a really rough divorce, introduced me to some of most amazing friends, and shows my girls they can do anything they put their mind to. Plus, there isn’t another sport where age groupers and pro’s race together. How cool is that?!

Recently within the triathlon industry, there is lot of buzz about the newly formed Women for Tri board from Ironman and also the movement of #50womentokona. Hillary Biscay, a pro triathlete and coach, resigned from the Women for Tri board, this past last week, stating differing view points with the board. Today, TriEqual.com launched a new website dedicated to fairness, development and equality in the sport of triathlon.

I’ll probably never qualify to go to Kona, but I enjoy watching it each year, more eagerly than the Super Bowl. However, just because I’ll never compete at that level, doesn’t mean I don’t passionately love this sport and support all who participate in it – both men and women.

Honestly, until the last few months, I didn’t even know how a person qualified for Kona or that it wasn’t equal between both men and women. You can read here to learn more about the inequality between men and women.

So why should I, an average age grouper, care what’s happening with the Women for Tri or TriEqual?

Because I dream and have future triathlon goals.

Each race season, I continue to push my mental and physical limits to chase down PR’s and conquer new race courses. Like most of us, with new goals, I dream bigger. I want the CHOICE, year after year, to set these big goals and work like hell to achieve them. Those choices are only available if the opportunity is there. While Kona may not be a goal today, it might be a goal tomorrow.

While I may not know all the specifics about what is being accomplished by the Women of Tri Board or how the #50womentokona movement is working to affect change, what I do know is as a passionate woman triathlete, I should not put my head in the water and wait for someone else to decide what opportunities I should have or not have, regardless of my age group, level of skill or participation within the sport of triathlon. It’s time to educate ourselves.

I encourage all men and women “average age groupers” to stay informed. Age groupers aren’t just “average.” We are the majority. We have a voice. Without the “average age grouper” there would be no triathlons.

Get involved! Stay informed and KEEP TRI ing!!