Dedicated triathlete

Triathlete Jake Kluczinik (pictured) competed in the Sylvan Beach Triathlon in La Porte. The race started with a tough, choppy, 550-meter swim in the bay, and continued with a 15-mile bike ride and 3-mile run. Jake has been competing for five years. He entered his first triathlon with a neighborhood Huffy bike, and his love for the sport grew from there. Since then, he has competed in 21 triathlons and has been on the podium 19 times. Jake’s mom, Karen, is a triathlon trainer, and she is his coach. “Triathlon gave me a tremendous amount of confidence both on and off the race course. It teaches you about hard work, dedication, pacing and sheer will power,” Jake said. He hopes to one day complete a full Ironman and qualify for the world championships in Kona, Hawaii.

Editor’s note: Send your best high-resolution photos and behind-the-scenes stories about young local athletes, in both team and individual sports, to SportzBuzz, Jr. at [email protected]. Include all contact info, names, ages, grades and schools. Featured athletes must live in Buzz-circulation neighborhoods. Items will be published on a space-available basis.