On July 28th, 32 athletes from Team RTA Triathlon Club started the iconic IRONMAN Lake Placid and by midnight EVERYONE FINISHED! We had the most athletes of any group this year so there was plenty of team support to go around.

It’s hard to put into words just how special this event was for Team RTA so instead of trying, we created a short video to help caption the emotion from this triumphant weekend.

In 1990 Jeanne first dreamed of becoming an IRONMAN, but she never really thought it was actually possible.

In 2015 she toed the line at IRONMAN Maryland, but she was ultimately disqualified for an innocent mishap during the run portion of the race.

In 2018 Jeanne got sweet redemption and finally became an IRONMAN!

Her journey wasn’t easy, but no one’s IRONMAN journey is easy. Everyone has a story. And everyone has obstacles they need to overcome along the way. Perhaps that’s why they say, ‘the harder the battle, the sweeter, the victory.’

Emily K is a text book overachiever. She knows what she wants and she goes out and gets it.

She graduated from college (Penn State!) in 2+ years and had her masters degree secured by the time most people get their undergraduate diploma. She now has more than one job, continues to work her butt off and is very successful.

Like any Type A, overachiever, she was looking for a new challenge. She had been a runner, but she wanted something more than just running.

“Why not sign up for a triathlon, she thought.” And even though she didn’t have a bike or know how to swim, that’s what she did. GAME ON!

 
Below is a short Q & A with Emily regarding her triathlon journey.

Meet Catherine – one of the kindest and most caring people you will ever come across.

In 2000 she had back surgery and was restricted with activities. However, as she recovered she stopped smoking and slowly started exercising. Then, 9/11 happened and she was in the mix of the chaos in NYC.

Following the events of 9/11 she promised herself she would always try to be fit in case she ever needed to physically help herself or another person.

In 2015 Catherine hired RTA to coach her for her first IRONMAN. She busted her butt and was ultimately successful.

After a few years off, she decided to she wanted to return to Lake Placid in 2018 for IRONMAN. She wanted to test her limits again. We were fortunate to have the opportunity to help guide her and over see her triathlon training program once again.

Below is a short Q & A with Catherine regarding her IRONMAN journey.

We are absolutely THRILLED and HONORED to have been selected as a recipient of the Women for Tri triathlon club grant for the 4th time! We are looking forward to continue growing the female population in the sport we love.

Women for Tri, a program of The IRONMAN Foundation was launched by IRONMAN and Life Time Fitness in 2015. It works to increase female participation at all levels in triathlon.

The program seeks to identify and diminish primary barriers to entry and mobilize triathlon advocates. The overall mission is to encourage and engage female athletes across all race distances and all athletic abilities.

Proportionally speaking, the number of women in triathlon is low. This is disappointing, because given the right tools, women regularly excel in the sport. With a little inspiration, a good dose of determination and proper guidance, sky’s the limit when it comes to women in triathlon.