Eleven year old Alex from Akina in Hastings, has Dyspraxia, but loves to give everything a go. So he’s taking part in the Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon when it kicks off for 2023 next Wednesday 15th February – at Mitre 10 Sports Park.
After a false start to 2023 with the Central East Auckland TRYathlon being rescheduled from Sunday 12 February to Sunday 26 March due to the floods, Hawke’s Bay is leading the way!
Some 1,500 tamariki are expected to descend on Mitre 10 Sports Park on Wednesday at 10am for the first Hastings TRYathlon in two years due to the lockdowns. The little athletes will give it their all and impress themselves at what they can achieve at running, cycling and swimming.
Paige, 12 from Taradale is a shy and quiet kid but is not letting her self-doubt get the better of her and is giving the TRYathlon a go for the first time. Ben, 9 from Waipukurau is also taking part in the TRYathlon for the first time with his older sisters who have encouraged him to give it a go.
They’ll be cheered on by local sporting celebs including Georgia Hulls – 2x Oceanic 200m sprint champion; Gareth Evans – Hawke’s Bay provincial and Highlanders rugby player; Rosemary Mair – NZ cricketer and Napier local.
Sanitarium National Marketing Manager NZ Peter Davis says the TRYathlon is a rite of passage for Kiwi kids. “It’s all about giving it a TRY and is open to all kids, no matter their sporting ability.”
Beginning in 1992 with just 500 entrants, the Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon is now the biggest triathlon series in the world for kids under age 16, with more than 460,000 kids taking part across three decades.
“We want to see as many tamariki as possible believe in themselves, achieve their potential, cross the finish line, earn a medal and feel like a true Kiwi champion through the events we have planned,” says Peter.
“Some TRYathletes of yesteryear – Black Ferns Sarah Hirini, the Bremner sisters Alana and Chelsea, and Olympian triathlete Debbie Tanner to name a few – have gone on to represent New Zealand at the highest level.
“While we’d never claim all the credit, we know there is something special in ‘giving it a TRY’ and completing a personal challenge like the Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids TRYathlon.”
Open to all kids aged 6–15 years, the TRYathlon caters to all fitness levels, with the focus on participation and giving it a try. TRYathletes are required to swim, bike and run their way around age-appropriate courses.
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