5th Willow Creek Triathlon Next Week

By SANDRA RHODES

If competition breeds success then there are already many winners in the Willow Creek Triathlon.

The obvious winners in the Fifth Annual Willow Creek Triathlon, set for Aug. 7, may be determined by those who benefit from the race – the Disabled American Veterans of McKean and Warren counties. There are also the participants who strive to better themselves as well as bring out a little competitive side, pitting friend against friend, family member against family member.

Participants swim for 300 yards in Quaker Lake in Allegany State Park, bicycle 15 miles to Giordano’s Corydon Hotel and run three miles to The Willows Restaurant. Individuals can do all three events or be part of a team.

One example of the competitive spirit is a group from the Bradford Kiwanis Club. The team of Karen Buchheit, Candy Tingley and Denise Bean will compete against Steve Cottillion, a fellow Kiwanian.

Buchheit will swim, Tingley will bike and Bean will run. Although none were clear on how this friendly competition got started, they believe it has been in the works since last year’s triathlon.

“We just started talking about it at a meeting,” Buchheit said.

They decided to forge ahead to raise money for a good cause as well as promote the Kiwanis Club, which is sponsoring both the team and Cottillion. The winner – or winners – will undoubtedly win bragging rights.

The team calls themselves the QTs – or quickly trained. Their training may have been quick, but it’s also been both hearty and hardy.

Tingley has been ardent in her bicycling even after having foot surgery and training on the bike in flip-flops. She’s trained steadily, even though she just recently got a bike, and has increased the mileage biked each week.

Buchheit, who “amped up her swimming schedule,” received some advice from her daughter who competed it last year’s triathlon – watch out for the seaweed and getting kicked in the head.

“I am going to take a different strategy,” Buchheit said. “I am not going out first.”

They are also hoping Bean, who is an accomplished runner in her own right, to make up time.

“Our goal is to be somewhere between competitive and embarrassing,” they said.

Cottillion, at a younger 27 years of age, is feeling the heat.

“They have an advantage on me,” he said. “I am not as young as I used to be and not in shape.”

Cottillion, who has participated in the triathlon previously as part of a team, is a strong bicyclist, admits he’s “not a great runner” and is even more concerned about the swimming.

“I will probably doggy paddle the 300 yards,” he said jokingly. “I may be crawling to the finish line.”

Even while there’s a friendly competition here, the meaning rings true for at least one/ Tingley has one son who is a veteran and another in the service.

“Kevin checks in often to see how I am progressing,” she said of her son that’s the veteran. “He is really proud I am doing this.”

The proceeds from the triathlon benefit the Disabled American Veterans Transportation Network. The money is used to purchase and maintain vans providing transportation to and from VA hospitals and clinics.

So far, registrations have been very good for this year’s event.

“We are excited at the prospect of having more participants this year than before since it’s the fifth year of the triathlon,” said Shane Oschman, race director. Oschman noted that this race is unique in that it crosses state lines – starting in New York and ending in Pennsylvania as well as benefiting veterans in both Warren and McKean counties.

Top male and female participants will receive the Thom Maholic Memorial Award named after Master Sgt. Thom Maholic of Bradford who died in 2006 while serving with Special Forces in Afghanistan.

Braveheart awards are given to those determined people who make an extra effort under extenuating circumstances to compete in and complete the triathlon.

New this year will be the presence of the Disabled American Veterans mobile outreach van which will have personnel available to help veterans that day.

“This is a great way that we could reach out to the community and provide a service to the veterans,” Oschman said of the van being on site at the Willows Restaurant. “It’s really an honor to help the veterans with the proceeds of the triathlon as well as help them in any way we can with the van being here the day of the event, too.”

People may register at the triathlon website at www.willowcreektriathlon.org or starting at 7:30 a.m. the day of the event at Allegany State Park. The triathlon will start at 9:30 a.m.

Pictured, Willow Creek Triathlon committee members Bruce Housler, left, and Ken "Mouse" Yohe show off one of the trophies that will be awarded to the winner of the triathlon that will be held Aug. 7.

You can hear our first LiveLine on this year's trialthon here. We'll be talking about it again on Wednesday.