“Tri” Harder!

Bala tests the waters in his first triathlon.

- Rich Wallace

“It’s the swim that worries me,” Bala said as he checked the pressure on his bicycle tires. “I’ll probably swallow a bunch of lake water.”

Bala’s sister, Tara, laughed. “Water’s good for you!”

“Not when it gets up your nose,” Bala said. He looked at the sky. Not one cloud. Even though it was just after 6:30 in the morning, the day already felt humid. It was a good thing the Inter-School Day Triathlon was scheduled so early.

“Here come Daksh and Jamshed,” Bala said, hopping onto his bike.

The triathlon would begin with a five-kilometer bike ride, followed by a two-kilometer run. Finally, the racers would scramble into the lake, swim around a floating dock, and then head back to shore.

Bala had practiced the route a few times. He was a strong swimmer, but he’d found himself getting tired in the water, out of breath from sprinting at the end of the run.

More than 200 kids had signed up for the race. At age nine, Bala would be among the youngest in his age group, but he hoped to finish near the top. The first 10 finishers would earn medals.

Daksh and Jamshed were certain to be contenders. Tara had opted not to compete, since she had a soccer game later in the day. “I’ll be your manager,” she told Bala. “I’ll make sure you have water, sunscreen, whatever you need.”

“What I need is speed and strength,” Bala replied. “Can you provide that?” He wished the swimming section came first, the way it does in most triathlons. But the organizers of this event thought the swim would be better at the finish so the competitors could cool off.