St. Catherine?s triathlon raises funds, spirits

As a sport, triathlons are fast gaining popularity among Belize’s professional athletes and weekend warriors. But on Saturday, another age group tapped into their physical strengths as a creative way to raise money for a new building. News Five’s Janelle Chanona reports.

Janelle Chanona, Reporting
A beautiful sunrise set the scene on Saturday morning as high schoolers, parents teachers and pets gathered at the Pickwick Club for the first St. Catherine?s Academy relay triathlon.

Sister Margaret Salsbury, Teacher
?Especially we ask you to bless and protect our contestants as they generously prepare to compete in this triathlon to raise funds for a multipurpose building, you know we need.?

Sixteen young women, representing each class between first and fourth form, got wet as they prepared to swim five laps in the first stage of the event. Each swimmer was separated by ten second intervals … racing time … and each other.

First year student Geraldine Sosa Mendez starts things off in the water.

Five laps later, Sosa is neck and neck with Yi-hsien Huang. But in a sprint to the finish, third former Andrea Gallaty closes a minute and ten second gap to exit the pool first.

Outside, Gallaty hands over her rider Francisca Avila who pedals off to complete stage thee: a three point nine six mile course along Princess Margaret Drive and Marine Parade.

But the Gallaty team is not alone as the rest of the swimmers tag their riders; among them amateur cyclist Kaya Cattouse.

At the first turn, Avila still has the lead but a big difference in equipment and abilities quickly give Cattouse the advantage as she easily laps her classmates …allowing Tanisha Schmidt to have a considerable head start on the run.

Minutes later, Jessica Rosado pulls in second and while Cristelee Gentle has some braking issues, her ride is good enough for third.

The remaining bikers include Francine Avila who tags Natasha Polanco, Kelly King comes in later to give Kesilyn Lizama her chance at the run while Marjana Eck keeps her team alive.

The ride does claim casualties though as two girls succumb to heat exhaustion while another has major mechanical problems.

On the first leg, Tanisha Schmidt is holding onto her team?s lead. But the exhaustion begins to take its toll as she starts to walk. Jonelle Brooks feels Tanisha?s pain as she fights off a cramp to continue her run but Brooks and most of the girls are still halfway through course when Tanisha Schmidt finishes strong.

It?s a sprint for second place in the run as Kesilyn Lizama and Danielle Haylock do battle in the final feet to the line, forcing Giselle Topsey to settle for fourth.

Out of the running but determined to finish strong, Andrea Gallaty gives Natasha Polanco the moral support she needs to make it to the end.

Andrea Gallaty, Swimmer
?It?s an amazing feeling. Honestly, I feel so good because everybody put so much work into it and like after you accomplish it and you come out of the pool all wet and you run for your other partner, you feel so good like what you accomplish and how long you took to train and get ready for it. So it feels good. I just want to congratulate all the other triathlethes that are participating no matter, if you didn?t come in first you still did well so congratulations.?

Janelle Chanona
?You think this event will get you psyched up to do the real one??

Andrea Gallaty
?Oh definitely. I want to be an athlete like Kaya Cattouse so congratulations Kaya.?

Kaya Cattouse, Cyclist
?It was very easy, three miles.?

Janelle Chanona
?How did it feel leaving your classmates behind like that??

Kaya Cattouse
?Ahm, it feels good.?

Janelle Chanona
?You no feel like you meh deh chance dem wah lee bit??

Kaya Cattouse
?Not at all.?

Janelle Chanona
?Kaya you are such an inspiration to most of the people in your school. Do you think this event will kick off more athletic events?

Kaya Cattouse
?I think they should make this triathlon an annual event because it?s very active for us as S.C.A. students.?

Kayla Arnold, Competitor
?I was I was afraid I was going to drop of course. But at first the breeze was really against me but after turning at Radisson and coming back down, tried to pass some people, some I couldn?t but I tried my best to tag my runner.?

Janelle Chanona
?What do you think this did for school spirit??

Kayla Arnold
?It really builds it a lot, because it ensures healthy participation and everybody is involved with it fully.?

Tanisha Schmidt, Runner
?It was a little challenging but I made it.?

Janelle Chanona
?Do you run ordinarily?

Tanisha Schmidt
?Yeah, I run marathons at school.?

Janelle Chanona
?I notice your tactic was a little walk, a little run.

Tanisha Schmidt
?Yeah … I didn?t really practice before this, but I think I did good.?

Janelle Chanona
?How you feeling for the school right now that everybody came out and did this?

Tanisha Schmidt
?Happy. I thought it would be scanty but everybody showed up.?

Janelle Chanona
?Any advice for the younger classmates for next year?

Tanisha Schmidt
?Just keep on doing your best no matter what people tell you.?

In the end first place honours went to Kayla Flowers, Kaya Cattouse and Tanisha Schmidt. Sharane Everett, Kelly King and Kesilyn Lizama claimed second while Tara Holder, Cristelee Gentle and Danielle Haylock round out the top three teams.

Despite a few glitches, organizers say the success of Saturday?s race has all but sealed the triathlon?s fate as a permanent fixture in the SCA sports calendar.

Reporting for News Five, I am Janelle Chanona.

All participants in the S.C.A. triathlon received certificates of participation while the top three teams received trophies for their accomplishments.