This past weekend, the 40 girls of i-tri successfully completed the 3^rd annual Maidstone Park Youth Triathlon along with 40 additional children from across Long Island.  For many of the girls, this was their first journey across the finish line, but for others, it was the chance to act as big sisters to first time racers, calming nerves, lending a hand and of course proving once again that they are powerful, capable and unstoppable!

Girls were selected based on anonymous surveys and school recommendations from The Springs and Montauk Schools this past March to participate in i-tri, a transformative program that focuses on preparing for the triathlon, but also on self-esteem building, nutrition, and general health.  Many never thought of themselves as athletic; some had serious family problems such as illness and domestic violence; some spoke little to no English, and others were at-risk for drug and alcohol abuse or dropping out of school.  Instead, these girls have become school and community leaders, examples to their friends and families and most impressive completed their first triathlon yesterday.

Family, friends and fans cheered the girls and their fellow racers on to success, as they swam 300 yards, biked 7 miles and ran 1.5 miles. Not bad considering until just 4 months ago, many were unable to swim, a couple had never ridden a bike, and almost all of them had never run a mile and a half before.  On Sunday they proved to themselves, their families and all who attended that they are TRI-athletes!

Over the past 6 months, these girls have trained for Sunday’s race, but more importantly, they have been given skills and experiences that will carry them through their adolescent years and into adulthood. The organization works with each girl to develop them both physically, but also emotionally and mentally.

Theresa Roden, founder and executive director explains, “Yesterday the girls crossed a FINISH LINE – but that was not the end –just the beginning- they have learned that they have the ability to set a goal and achieve it!  The strategies that they used to reach the finish line of the Maidstone Park Youth Triathlon (affirmations, visualization, teamwork, good nutrition, training, etc) can now be applied to ANY goal that they set for themselves.”

Jeffrey Friedman, Executive Director of  The Retreat in East Hampton, was there to watch his son race, but also to see what i-tri was all about.  Here was someone who sees exactly what can happen when girls are not empowered and taught to believe in themselves, as he leads the East End’s largest Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Organization.

Shaking his head, Friedman just kept saying, “It’s incredible. These girls were on the sidelines.  No one would have noticed when they fell into the traps for which they were headed.  Instead they supported one another, trained together, and have created a community and family of support that will hold them up into adulthood.  That is incredible.”