62-year-old retiree competes in 6 triathlons in one year

　　In Chongqing, there is a group of people from all walks of life. Though not professional athletes by background, these men, women, and children share one common trait: a love for sports. They wake up early every day before work or school to train in running, swimming, cycling, and other activities. In other words, they engage in a sport that most people find daunting—triathlon. Many of them have not been involved in this sport for long, but they have already made their mark in amateur competitions both domestically and abroad. They jokingly call themselves "iron strikers," and in Chongqing, they have an organization called the "Chongqing Liangjiang Triathlon Club."

　　As the first group in Chongqing officially registered and recognized by the Chinese Triathlon Association under the General Administration of Sport of China, the club has grown from just over 30 members at its founding to more than 100. Last week, these "iron strikers" held an engaging sharing event at Shizishan Sports Park. Numerous club members shared vivid stories about the hardships and joys of participating in triathlon, aiming to show people that "triathlon" is not a sport only for the super-fit.

　　Li Wensheng is one of the oldest members of the club. At 62, he is now retired. As a sports enthusiast, Li had long been passionate about physical activity even before taking up triathlon. Running, hiking, and swimming were his regular exercises. Two years ago, upon a friend’s recommendation, he participated in his first triathlon at Changshou Lake. "At that time, I represented Nan’an District and won third place in the team competition. I was very excited and also developed an interest in the sport. Unlike marathon running, completing a triathlon involves transitions between three events, so it’s not monotonous and is actually quite fun."

　　After experiencing the joy of his first triathlon, Li Wensheng joined the "Chongqing Liangjiang Triathlon Club" and began systematic training. "The club often organizes group training sessions. Through training and competitions, I’ve had more opportunities to interact with younger people. Being with them makes me feel younger too. Also, training with younger athletes has helped me improve my performance quickly." After two years of training, Li Wensheng’s race results are now on par with many young amateur athletes. At this year’s Weihai International Long-Distance Triathlon Invitational, he won the over-60s category with a time of 6 hours and 1 minute. "I was really excited at the time. After all, swimming 3.8 km, cycling 180 km, and running 42 km is much longer than a standard triathlon."

　　Li Wensheng said that so far, he has participated in more than ten national triathlon competitions. Just this year, he took part in six national races organized by the Chinese Triathlon Association. Despite such a high frequency of competitions, the retired Li remains unfazed: "I’m not worried about my health. So far, competing in six races a year hasn’t had much impact on my body. Next year, I want to go abroad to compete in long-distance triathlons."

　　Xie Xingwu is a private business owner. His reason for joining the club was rather coincidental. During the Spring Festival in 2012, club members were doing a cycling training session. When a group of them were cycling back from Beibei to Sanxikou, they happened to run into Xie Xingwu, who was having fish with friends there. Upon learning that they had cycled from Jiangbei to Beibei and back, Xie was first surprised, then filled with admiration. "At that moment, I thought, if they can cycle from Jiangbei to Beibei, why can’t I?" Encouraged by the club members, Xie Xingwu decided to take on the challenge posed by these "iron strikers."

　　"At that time, I hadn’t exercised in a long time, and I weighed 160 jin (about 80 kg). At first, I could barely finish a lap around my neighborhood in the mornings. I almost wanted to give up, but with the encouragement of my club teammates, I persisted. After two months, I could already run several kilometers, and eventually, I could comfortably complete a 20-km run." Xie Xingwu also participated in this year’s Chongqing Marathon. Originally planning to run only the half-marathon, he signed up for the full marathon at the persuasion of his teammates. "At first, I had no confidence in finishing the full marathon, but unexpectedly, I completed it." With the experience of running a marathon, Xie Xingwu began trying triathlon. This year, he participated in triathlons in Jintang and Weihai. As someone new to the sport, his biggest takeaway was that "finishing a standard triathlon wasn’t as tiring as completing a marathon." To him, competing in triathlon feels like traveling. "Triathlon includes swimming, cycling, and running. Every time I go to a competition, I get to swim, cycle for sightseeing, and run through streets—it’s like traveling, very relaxing, and nowhere near as dull as running a marathon. After each race, I still feel like I want more."

　　What attracts Xie Xingwu the most is the healthy body and lifestyle he has gained through triathlon. "Now I weigh only 130 jin. In the past, I often went out for business dinners and drank alcohol. Now, whenever I have free time, I invite friends to cycle or swim. More importantly, not only has my own life become healthier, but many friends who saw photos of my triathlon training and competitions on WeChat found them interesting and started exercising with me. A friend of mine who weighed over 200 jin lost weight to 160 jin after training with me for a while."

　　Zhang Xiewen, an 8-year-old girl, has particularly stood out. A third-grade student at Xincun Tongchuang International Primary School, she only started this sport in April this year. But in mid-April, at the Chengdu Jintang International Triathlon, she helped the club win second place in the girls’ primary school category and first place in the primary school team category.

　　"We really didn’t expect her to achieve such great results. When selecting team members, we initially didn’t choose Zhang Xiewen because most primary school participants are sixth graders, and she, being only in third grade, was considered too young to have an advantage," said Cao Junyu, Zhang Xiewen’s coach. "But at her mother’s insistence, we eventually let her join the team. Unexpectedly, she performed excellently—not only winning second place in the individual girls’ primary school event but also helping us secure first place in the primary school team category!"