Tri-kids ISB: Developing courage, commitment and adaptability

Tri-Kids at ISB

In its current format, the ISB Tri-Kids event encourages community building and a celebration of achievement at every ability level and youth age group. There are three races – the Try and Tri for children ages 4  – 8; the Standard Distance for ages 8 – 19 and the Do the Double for competitive athletes age 8 -19. The Try a Tri, encourages participation, fun and allows kids to experience the joy of participating and finishing. Every child doing the Try a Tri is encouraged and assisted where necessary along the way with every child awarded a t-shirt and participation medal. Every parent is required to assist in some way on the day, highlighting the community aspect of this event. While assistance is there, kids are also required to be self-managing by putting on their own t-shirt and helmet after the swim, collecting their bike and following course marshals. Prior to the event, our community assistants offer two course walk throughs so that kids can be confident in what to do and where to go, and courageous enough to participate.

Range of Levels

The Standard and Do the Double races are more competitive. The children swim in the 50m pool and ride their bikes in the beautiful surrounds of Nichada Thani. These races are timed and medals are awarded only to the top 3 finishers in each age group, encouraging healthy competition, and a true race format. Despite the Standard and Do the Double being races, the vision of ISB Tri Kids, Thailand is that ISB provides an opportunity for kids to experience the multi-sport event of a triathlon for the first time in a supportive and friendly environment where they can be self-managing especially in the transitions between swim and bike and bike and run; be courageous enough to complete the course; adaptable (as things sometimes don’t go to plan in triathlon) and enjoy being part of a big community event where celebrating finishing is a joy!

In 2018, the event was officially added to the Thailand Gotorace events calendar, and continues to be an event that the Bangkok community and triathlon community looks forward to. 315 kids participated in 2018 and the event filled within a matter of days. The Bangkok community are already looking forward to the 2019 event. While there are more triathlon events on offer to kids in 2019, the ISB Tri Kids, Thailand offers an event with a choice of distances to all ability levels, on this side of town, in a safe and well supported environment. According to Kellie Alexander, 2018 Race Director, “Our race is unique because the Try a Tri introduces our very young children and children with varying abilities to the joy of multi-sport event in a well supported and encouraging environment. Our goal is that every competitor experiences the joy of being courageous enough to participate and finish. Ours is the only event in Bangkok that offers triathlon to kids so young. After the event in 2018, it gave me great joy to receive some letters of thanks from parents who report that their families are now taking family bike rides and jogging as a family, the race being the inspiration for their young children to be active and balanced. If these kinds of community events encourage kids to get out from behind their devices, to enjoy the outdoors, connect with their families and be fit, then we have been successful in achieving what we set out to, that is, for children to experience wellbeing through participation in an active community event.”