LT students help others finish triathlon

Finishing a marathon is quite an accomplishment, but imagine helping someone who needs assistance complete a marathon. That’s exactly what 10 Lyons Township High School students did, along with LT Physical Education teacher Cassie Niego, all of whom volunteered at the Dare2Tri Kids Paratriathlon Training Camp in July in Chicago.

These students swam, biked, ran and assisted in moving physically disabled athletes, in addition to providing words of encouragement and inspiration along the way.

Dare2Tri is an organization that comes to LT each spring to assist physically disabled LT students participate in the sophomore semi-annual triathlon. The triathlon is a cardiovascular endurance athletic event comprised of a 150 meter swim, a 5 minute stationary bike ride, and a .67 mile run.

Dare2Tri brings adaptive equipment, and any student in need of assistance is matched with a “Tri Buddy,” a fellow classmate who completes the event by their side. Students work together to assist athletes in the pool, on specialized equipment, and completing the running portion of the triathlon.

Last summer, Niego volunteered for the Dare2Tri's summer camp and bumped into one of LT’s Tri Buddies, Emma Korzyniewski, Class of 2019 of Brookfield. She was so inspired from her experience with the LT triathlon that she wanted to get more involved with Dare2Tri and disabled athletes. This spring, Niego and Korzyniewski recruited other Tri Buddy students and offered a summertime field trip to the Dare2Tri Summer Training Camp.

According to Niego, “The group of students who came with me didn't know each other but created a strong bond through physical activity and selflessly helping others. Our students have been inspired, and many were already investigating additional ways in which they can participate. A handful of them agreed to volunteer/participate in the annual Chicago kids triathlon this August.”