Dedicated triathlete

Senator Flood, 11, (pictured, center, with teammates) completed the 5k run portion of the Cypress Triathlon with his Houstonian Hammerheads tri relay team. The Western Academy sixth grader began competing in triathlons this summer and has already been successful in adult-length events. He placed second in the 14U age group at Jeff and Brede’s Triathlon, with a 300-meter swim, 10-mile bike ride and 5-kilometer run. Triathlons are a major commitment, and Senator’s training regimen includes weekly swim/run, bike/run and transition workouts. Triathlon is gaining in popularity among younger competitors, but many kids view it as being too difficult. Senator’s advice to other kids is to give it a try and commit to training. “If you want to do it, you can. You’ve just got to want to,” he said.

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