KC:  Project 2012 has been a huge help in my athletic development in triathlon. As a member of Project 2012 I am able to be a resident at the Olympic Training Centers, and I have lived at the OTC in Colorado Springs since last year. This alone has been a huge help. I am a big fan of training at altitude and the training support I receive at the OTC is outstanding.

USAT: Did you first compete with or against any of your current teammates on the collegiate level? 

BB: Of course! I will stick to just the male side ... Jarrod Shoemaker, Manny Huerta, Timothy O'Donnell, Steven Sexton, Ethan Brown and Kevin Collington are the pros I raced against either at Collegiate Nationals or World University Games who are currently on USAT's National, Project 2012 or Project 2016 teams. It is an impressive list of pros who have come through the collegiate ranks.

SS: I competed with many athletes on USAT national teams at Collegiate Nationals—as far back as 2004. I was just getting into the sport then and had no idea who these guys were. Then in 2007 and 2008, I had to contend against some other USAT Elite Development program athletes who were among my best friends in the sport. I remember everyone placing bets on who would win among me, Kevin Collington and Ethan Brown in 2007. Kevin ended up winning that year, and I was second. In 2008, I took the win. John (Dahlz) returned the following year and grabbed the title. Barrett has since become a good friend, too.

KC: I am currently in Australia for the first race in the 2010 ITU World Championship Series in Sydney, and one of my teammates for this race is Ethan Brown. He got third at the 2007 race that I won. That was the first time I met him, and now he is one of my best friends in the sport. There are a bunch of other guys who have emerged from the collegiate ranks to race for the U.S. on the ITU circuit. The competition is getting so good at the Collegiate Nationals that if you win, you could probably race professionally on the ITU circuit.

USAT: Why do you think more colleges and universities should develop triathlon teams?

BB: I think the sport of triathlon is such a fantastic one, and every college should have some sort of triathlon program. I wish I would have had a team to go with me to nationals! Collegiate triathlon is a great medium for college students to be introduced to healthy lifestyle choices. It is a great sport that can become a lifetime pursuit, and the atmosphere at Collegiate Nationals is hard to beat. What a great event showcasing such a great sport!     

SS: Triathlon is a great sport for building team spirit and inspiring students to achieve athletic goals. The collegiate teams do a good job of balancing training and social activities as they recruit new people to healthy and active lifestyles every year. Cal Triathlon introduced me to the sport that now offers me the chance of achieving my Olympic dream. I am indebted to the leaders of the team and the collegiate triathlon community who paved the way for me to achieve success in this sport.

KC: I think that would be great. Most universities have sports club departments, and all you would need to do is create the club, and hopefully the university or college will fund the team. Even with small starting budgets, a team can usually get to the National Championship race, and with team fund-raising efforts they might also be able to join a nearby collegiate conference and race in all of the conference races. The more teams the better, and hopefully with continued increases in participation the sport might one day be NCAA sanctioned!

The Colorado Triathlete
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