This past Sunday was the last big race of the season for the Syracuse University Triathlon Club. Biking, swimming and running, the competitors used endurance to make it through the conference championships.

About 150 athletes from the Northeast Collegiate Triathlon Conference joined individual racers for the 2012 Mighty Man. But for the athletes of the SU Triathlon Club, it was just another part of the healthy lifestyle that the on-campus club promotes.

The NECTC began in 2006, co-founded by Keisuke Inoue, now a doctoral student in Syracuse University’s School of Information Studies. But at that time, people weren’t as interested.

“Triathlon wasn’t as big then as it is now,” Inoue said.

Interest has greatly grown in Syracuse, with many of the surrounding lakes now holding their own events. Growth has continued since the conference’s inception, now boasting more than 200 athletes. The conference website lists 20 teams, including groups from Harvard and Yale.

Both experienced triathlon participants and those new to the sport have joined SU’s Triathlon Club since it started. Some of the club’s 30 members compete more often than others.

“Everyone is really inspirational and want others to take the bait,” said Laura Beachy, alumna and former member.

Beachy, captain of the SU Triathlon Club for two years, cultivated her experiences into a lifelong hobby, even pursuing career paths in the fitness world.

Inoue, the league founder, described triathlon as a lifetime sport.

“Triathlon is an individual sport,” he said. “You can train with your schedule and it works really well with academic life.”

The on-campus group also builds an atmosphere around the training, promoting healthy lifestyle choices and friendship among members.

“I wanted to find people I could train with,” said graduate student Chuck Walck.

Walck participated in the conference championships for the first time this year. He said working with other club members helps his own abilities.

“Knowing people in the race makes me able to push myself a little harder,” Walck said.

Training goes on year-round. During the winter, club members cycle in Archbold Gymnasium.

“It’s not just physical strength,” said Inoue. The sport depends on several strategic components including choices of equipment and approaches to race execution.

Around this physically demanding regimen, the SU triathlon team builds a community and an atmosphere ripe with passion for the sport.

“It’s really important to have a positive environment,” Beachy said.

Captains William Leonard, an advertising representative at The Daily Orange, Stephanie Verwys and Gianna Curcio also help to facilitate a group atmosphere by planning dinners and training events.

Former captain Beachy said one thing she remembers about the Triathlon Club is that the members embody the same mindset of “living and socializing actively.”

The group has pioneered and participated in a range of events, including the Nearly Naked Mile, during which runners brave the cold weather for 1 mile in their skivvies raising money for the Triathlon Club and the Westcott Community Center.

The Triathlon Club has also volunteered at the Syracuse half-Ironman in the past, giving the new members a chance to see a triathlon event up close and personal.

“It’s intense,” Beachy said. “It’s about how well you can do for yourself.”

Both Beachy and Inoue still participate in triathlons outside of the group, continuing to train and compete beyond their years in the club.

An alumni board is in the process of forming to support the group and is already collecting spare equipment to help other students get a start in the exercise regimen.

“It’s one of those communities that you don’t want to let go of,” Beachy said. “And you don’t have to.”

Published on October 3, 2012 at 3:41 am

Contact Adelyn: albieden@syr.edu