The following is a list of comments, testimonials and editorials written about the
Tri-Warriors Youth Triathlon over the last two years.

2011

Just a quick note to say how impressed I was with the event on Saturday. This was my family’s first experience with the Triathlon.  My 10 year old son competed and loved the experience.   We are very proud of the fact that he not only completed the race but finished 13th in the 6-10 year old group.  (This is due to he is not really involved with any one sport.)  As a parent, I appreciate all the hard work that went into the planning of this event.   I understand that we can never measure the impact of completing this type of event will have on a child’s life.  I, myself, was not athletic as a child and currently not very active as an adult.  I realized Saturday that events like this that expose kids early can definitely increase the chance that they will continue becoming involved into their adult years.  We have exposed our son to different sports hoping that one would stick out and grab his attention and I think this has done it.   He is all boy, very energetic  and is easily distracted.  This event helped to keep his attention with the transition from one event to the next.  I hope that we can encourage him to continue and keep up the pace. Again, a huge THANK YOU to you and those that helped in the organization of Saturday’s event.  We are definitely looking forward to next year’s event. -Halona L.

High 5's to all the race coordinators and volunteers! Was an awesome event. -Faith S.

We had an absolute blast and will be back next year. Thanks for inspiring young people to stay fit and compete!! -Blake R.

Thanks to all of the Tri-Warriors. In spite of Irene it was a great event, well planned and well managed. -Tony J.

Kudos to all involved! What a wonderful event. It has rated top triathlon experience we have had yet and we were contending with wind and rain! This was so conscientiously well planned out with our children in mind. The event was incredibly well staffed, but most of all you made my kids (all three of them) feel like something super special! We will be back next year! -Maxine F.

Thank you so much for a wonderfully organized, positive event - it was just AWESOME! Our girls were both in the pool when the lights went out and I was so impressed with the quick lifeguard response, and the diligence taken by the race staff to re-organize the athletes and get everyone back under way!! We did several other events this year but this was certainly a favorite :) Can't wait til next year!! -Debbie R.

GREAT work Tri-Warriors! It was an amazing event! Both of my children LOVED it and are ready for another triathlon! -Andrea L.

Getting a fast start
-editorial by Donnie Douglas (The Robesonian)

If you want a child to read and write well one day, hand that child a book.
If you want a child to build things one day, give that child an erector set.
If you want a child to excel at sports one day, toss that child a ball.

If you want a child to respect his or her body, and to grow into a healthy adult, enter that child into a triathlon. Or at least tell that child to get off the couch or out from behind the computer and run around the neighborhood with some friends.

Good — and bad — habits are often formed early, which is why we are excited about the possibilities of the Tri-Warriors Youth Triathlon, the second of which was held this past weekend at The University of North Carolina at Pembroke. A total of 108 youths, all between the ages of 6 and 15, began the event, which included swimming, cycling and running, and 108 crossed the finish line, even though at times the headwind was being produced by a hurricane named Irene.

Race Director Mike DeCinti, who waited until he was 35 years old before he trained for and completed his first triathlon, and the Tri-Warriors Triathlon Club hatched the idea, and they and a bunch of volunteers make it happen. This year’s number of 108 participants was slightly higher than last year’s, but it certainly would have been significantly so except for Irene’s visit.

DeCinti, who writes a fitness column for this newspaper, sees the triathlon as a small but significant front on this nation’s battle with childhood obesity — assuming that battle is being waged. If you want to know how bad the problem is, then take a look around. We are a nation of sedentary and overweight adults, and children often do as we do, not as they are told.

The event doubles as a fund-raiser, with the plan being for different beneficiaries each year. This year it was Helping Hands For Progress.

Our strong belief is those 108 children who participated — we like that word better than competed — in Saturday’s event have a step on their peers in the lifelong marathon toward good health.

But the triathlon’s dividends don’t begin and end with fitness. Those children who crossed the finish line on Saturday can now boast that they have completed a triathlon; while we don’t have the numbers to back it up, we are confident that the percentage of Americans who can claim the same is minuscule.

That is the kind of booster shot to a child’s self-esteem that can be parlayed into other achievements, in academics, athletics or the Challenge of the Day. These children have a pretty good head start in the game of life.

 2010

Today's Youth Tri was awesome!  Thank you for all you've done to put this together and make it happen.  My boys had a blast!  They will look forward to this event each year. -Kimberly S.

Kudos to you and the entire TriWarriors for putting on an outstanding event on Saturday. I thought everything went smoothly. Very impressive for the club's first hosted event.  I'm sure it will continue to grow. What a great event for the youth in our community. I was glad to be a part of it. Again, great job! -Kelly H.

Great Jobs gang!   My daughter and two nephews were very excited and found themselves with a new found level of confidence as well as love for another sport. I think a lot of the participants have NEVER been involved in anything like this and it was great that even though they did not have a bike, helmet etc..  that they were provided the opportunity to still participate, thanks to ALL the volunteers and donators...   I am sure it meant a lot more to these kids than we realize for Doctors, Lawyers, Professional men and women to take time out for them and mentor some of these kids that do not have positive influences in their lives.  Thank you Tri-warriors for giving back to the community in many ways. -Marcus B

Something wonderful started in Robeson County on Saturday when the Robeson County Tri Warriors sponsored the first youth (ages 6-15) triathlon in the county at UNC Pembroke. Ninety-nine children registered for the inaugural event, which was simply a wonderful celebration of community and fitness. I noticed that most of the Tri Warriors had no children in the event, so this was truly a labor of love for them. I can imagine this event growing in size each year because of the quality and commitment of the volunteers and their efforts. This will definitely be another "must attend" event for our community. -Eric D.

Kids get a jumps start on healthy living
-editorial by Donnie Douglas (The Robesonian)

On Saturday in Pembroke, 100 youths ages 6 to 15 will swim a little, run a little, and ride a bicycle a little — still normal activities for kids in an age of video games and iPods, but less so than they once were.

 The Tri-Warriors' inaugural Youth Triathlon , which will be staged at the Jones P.E. Center on the campus of The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, has two goals: to introduce young people to the sport of triathlon , but more importantly to emphasize the importance of physical activity and discipline that the sport — and a healthy life — demand.

We all know that Robeson County collectively is fat — a result of our penchant for unhealthy food, and our unwillingness to get off the sofa. The best way to turn that ship around is with young people who have yet to fall into habits that not only shorten lives, but reduce their quality.

On Saturday, the 6- to 10-year-olds will swim 50 yards, bicycle three miles and then run or walk a final mile. The 11- to 15-year-olds will participate in the same events, but will travel distances twice as far — 100 yards, six miles, and two miles.

At the end of the day, the top three boy and girl finishers in each age division — a total of 12 — will win awards, but all of the kids, even those who might not make the finish line, will be winners because they dared to challenge themselves.

Hopefully some of the lessons they learn will carry through their lifetime.

Another winner on Saturday will be Sacred Pathways, a Pembroke nonprofit that is expected to receive several thousand dollars that the event will raise. Sacred Pathways provides human services, including feeding the hungry.

Kudos to the Tri-Warriors and all the youths who are competing. It is a small step toward reversing what is a big problem in Robeson County.