Featured Athletes
Kim McDonald, Triathlete
In Aug 2008 I weighed about 230 lbs, had high blood pressure, crazy blood sugar, and was very out of shape. A friend of mine, who was training for the Y Not Tri, asked me to swim with her in Quinn Pond to make sure she was safe. Although I used to be a pretty decent swimmer, I was the one that had trouble! I swam only a short way out when I started gasping for air and resorted to floating just to make it back to shore! That was the first step in my decision to change my life. The second step came as my friend crossed the finish line at the Y Not race. I could tell by the look on her face just how much that moment meant to her. Seeing that personal satisfaction was all I needed to finalize my life-changing decision.
My friend asked, or rather challenged, me to do the Y Not Tri in 2009. I very much wanted to, but knew I had a lot of work to do. To start I needed to lose some weight. Through mild exercise and diet control I lost 60 lbs. With that accomplished I was ready to begin my training in earnest. The only problem was that I had no clue how to start! I bought six training and diet books, but quickly became overwhelmed. My wife knew a gal who did triathlons. After chatting with her, she recommended Matt at Therapeutic Associates and the Tri Three Training Programs.
The Tri Three Training Programs gave me access to a number of professionals who helped me navigate these new waters. Michelle at Performance High helped me train the proper way, Shannon at FLOW Aquatics taught me to efficiently swim long distances, and Matt at Therapeutic Associates Physical Therapy helped me stay injury free. All of this in one package?? WOW!! Through the structured workouts, all the coaching on injury prevention, and all the help from the experienced athletes in the Tri Three group, I was able to complete Boise Spudman, Burley Spudman, and Emmett Sprint triathlons! And, because I had so much fun and such a great sense of personal accomplishment, I have decided to compete in the Ironman 70.3 Boise in 2010. I’m officially hooked!!
2009 Highlights
- Spudman Triathlon
- Burley Idaho Lions Spudman Triathlon
- Emmett's Most Excellent Triathlon