Posted: August 21, 2004

Triathlon: Canada’s Kids of Steel Program – The Place to Realize the Olympic Dream

As the eyes of the world turn to the Athens– Simon Whitfield, Brent McMahon, Jill Savege, Carol Montgomery and Samantha McGlone will be realizing their Olympic dreams and inspiring new Olympic dreams in Canadian youth to follow in their steps and represent Canada in Triathlon at the Olympic Games.

These amazing athletes have each paved their own road to Athens but a common thread that binds many of the Canadian Olympic Triathletes with youth, just getting a start in triathlon, is the exceptional Triathlon Canada Kids of Steel Program.

Kids of Steel Triathlon races are held annually in each province with an emphasis on ‘trying a triathlon’ in a fun environment. Distances are age appropriate for kids aged 7 – 19, making triathlon accessible to Canadian youth.

Simon Whitfield’s very first exposure to triathlon was a Kids of Steel race in Sharbot Lake, Ontario. He didn’t win the event but he was won over by the sport. By 1995 he earned the title of Junior National Champion at the Kids of Steel event in Leamington, Ontario. He then traveled to Mexico to compete in the Junior World Championships, where he finished tenth overall. Five short years later the world watched as this former kid of steel became the very first Olympic Gold Medalist.

Olympians Jill Savege and Brent McMahon also started in triathlon as Kids of Steel participants. Jill, a Pan Am Games Gold Medallist, completed her first triathlon at a Kids of Steel race in Cambridge, Ontario.

As the Kids of Steel program continues to grow exponentially each year, with more races, clinics and clubs becoming available in each province – the future of triathlon in Canada continues to lie in the Kids of Steel programme.

Kids interested in ‘tri-ing’ a Kids of Steel race can visit the Youth section of www.triathloncanada.com for the race schedule in their province.

From: Triathlon Canada.