Age Is No Barrier for Bristol Senior Athlete

To many people, age is a barrier. But to Tom Boyd of Bristol, age is an opportunity.

Boyd, 68, will join James Moran of Concord, Mass., as the eldest participants in this Saturday’s second annual Amica 19.7 Newport Triathlon competition, a grueling three-sport endurance test to be staged in Middletown and Newport. The competition will start with a 0.5-mile swim at Third Beach in Middletown; continue with a 16.1-mile bicycle leg through Middletown and Newport; and conclude with a 3.1-mile run in Middletown.

At an age when most of his peers are enjoying retirement, relaxing at home and sleeping late Saturday mornings, Boyd will trek to the southern confines of Newport County early Saturday to challenge his capabilities in an event admittedly better suited to participants of younger ages.

“I was a runner for many years and I’ve always enjoyed bicycling and swimming as well,” said the trim and relaxed Boyd, who appears one to two decades younger than his age. “Exercising helps me stay in shape, improve my physical fitness and control my weight, and preparing for and competing in triathlons teaches me to know my body.”

Boyd also said his inner circle of friends shares his preference in living standards.

“While some of my friends are retired now, many still lead very active lifestyles,” he said. “I enjoy associating with people who are active in all phases of life.”

A Massachusetts native who graduated from the University of Virginia and lived there, in Maryland and in New Hampshire for many years before relocating to Barrington in 1980, and then Bristol in 2000, Boyd has competed in triathlons since 1985.

Nicknamed “Captain Meticulous” for his attention to detail, he is still active in all phases of his life and continues to serve as President of Blow Molded Specialties of Pawtucket.

Boyd founded the company in 1988 “with a handful of people and a couple of machines” and has watched it grow to where it today employs 30 people and generates annual sales of approximately $4 million. And he said that the rigors of preparing for physical competitions serve a vital and complementary purpose for him in his work life.

“To run a business, you must have a sharp mind,” Boyd said. “How can you have a sharp mind if the body it is sitting on isn’t sharp?”

Adhering to that simple philosophy, Boyd said he typically trains for “10 to 12 hours” per week in all three sports, using local facilities to fit his needs. He regularly bikes with the Fuel Belt Race Team of Warren and swims at various locations throughout the area. Because of an arthritic knee, he said he runs alone, sparing others the necessity of maintaining a slower pace.

“I enjoy working out because I consider it to be part of the balance of life,” Boyd said. “To me, it’s not work; it’s pleasure. I always manage to find time to do exercises and strength conditioning every day.”

A major highlight of Boyd’s competitive career occurred last month when he competed in the Male 60-and-Over Division of the Age Group National Championships of USA Triathlon staged in Burlington, Vt. He said he does not enjoy the hassles of traveling long distances for competitions and generally enters four to six triathlons every year, all within a day’s driving distance of home.

Boyd stressed that Saturday’s competition will not mark the end of his career as a triathlete.

“It all depends on my arthritic knee and how long it holds up,” he said. “I’ll keep going as long as I can.”

Boyd said he has already plotted a post-triathlete career. When his running days are over, he will likely enter Aqua-Bike competitions, events featuring just swimming and bicycling.

“Aqua-Bike competitions are becoming popular in New England,” he said. “It’s what I will probably go to when my knee is gone.”

And for how long?

“I don’t see why I can’t keep going for another 10 or 20 years,” Boyd said. “As long as I’m not hurting myself, why not?”

Because to Tom Boyd, age is an opportunity.