Broadneck's Father and Son Triathletes

In 1994, four year old Cape St. Claire resident David Basquill stood on the boat ramp at Centennial Park watching his dad Kevin swim the first leg of the Columbia Triathlon. His dad enjoyed that race so much that he completed two more Olympic distances triathlons that year.

But then life got in the way of training. Kevin’s life became busier with work and family responsibilities, and though he continued to run road races, he didn’t go back to a triathlon until last summer.

In the meantime, David watched his father run. He attended his father's races and found his own passion for running when at eight years old he ran the Downingtown Good Neighbor Day 5k in his mother’s hometown.

“We ran it together,” Kevin said, “I wanted to make sure he didn’t go out too fast so we ran together for the first part and then at the end, he raced it in and won his age group.”

David smiles from ear to ear as he recounts the details of that day. 

“I loved running right away,” David said.

And his love for running has not gone away. As a freshman at Broadneck High School, David made what would turn out to be a life-altering decision. He joined the track team and fell under the influence of Coach Dana Dobbs.

For the next three and a half years, David ran track and cross country. Because Coach Dobbs is a triathlete, he understands the importance of cross training and encouraged his runners to cycle during the off season. Once again, David found himself falling in love with a sport.

With a little push from Coach Dobbs and what may have been a subconscious pull from his dad who had never forgotten how much he enjoyed those first three triathlons of his over a decade earlier, Kevin decided to try out triathlon. 

Though he had not really trained as a swimmer before, the discipline was almost hereditary. David’s father grew up swimming both recreationally and competitively and eventually got a job as a lifeguard through high school and college.

Last spring, father and son started training for David’s first triathlon, the Diamond in the Rough. 

“We can’t really train together a lot,” Kevin said, “because our paces are so different. But we do ride together sometimes, and if we can work it out to run part of a run, we will do that.”

Still, David and Kevin said training and competing in triathlons has brought the already close father and son even closer. 

“It’s nice because we have the same goals,” David said, “We can talk about training, what races we want to do this season, what our dreams races are. It is fun having this in common.”

And then there are moments that happen in the triathlon that mean something special to both father and son. 

At David’s first triathlon in July of 2010, David went out strong and stayed strong throughout. He completed the one-mile swim, 27-mile bike ride and five-mile swim in 2:29:53, placing third in his age group.

“David finished the race, received his medal for winning and then ran back along the course to run in with me,” Kevin said. “The picture of us coming across the finish line is great. It has me looking hot and tired and David looking fresh as a daisy with his finisher’s medal and winner’s medal around his neck.”

As an athlete, Kevin has seen the benefits that come with being fit and active. He believes he is better able to cope with problems, whether it is health problems, the stress of a job, or just problems that arise throughout his day. He believes that racing has brought his family closer together because they support each other through their endeavors. And he believes that the health benefits are immeasurable. 

But being able to not only pass a love of fitness and triathlon on to his son but to train for and compete in these races with the same little boy who stood on the boat ramp all those years ago is priceless.

So far this year, David and Kevin have completed the TriRocks Triathlon in Annapolis, the Columbia Triathlon and the One Mile Bay Swim Challenge. Next on tap is a return to the Diamond in the Rough Triathlon in July, the Annapolis Ten Miler in August, the March Creek Sprint Distance Triathlon in September, TriRocks Gettysburg in October, and two weeks later, the first marathon for either David or Kevin, the Marine Corps Marathon.