The Vancouver triathlon community is going the extra mile to support female athletes racing in the T100 World Triathlon Tour Vancouver event next month. Team T100 Community Captains Bronwyn Davies and Alyssa Reyes are local triathletes who have been hosting women-only group training sessions in advance of the highly-anticipated event new to the west coast this year.
As community captains, Davies and Reyes put themselves forward to be ambassadors for T100 Vancouver. Part of their role has been to support and encourage the local triathlon community. The women have been hosting the training group for a couple of years now, and as T100 ambassadors they are bringing this new opportunity to their established group of athletes, as well as drawing in newcomers interested in the event.
Lowering barriers for women to race
As triathletes themselves, Davies and Reyes are connected to the goal of doing the “impossible” in triathlon, and understand the challenges some women face in getting over that hurdle to commit to a big goal like the T100 Vancouver. They have been hosting group training sessions for a couple of years and have had up to 50 women show up to run the famed seawall in downtown Vancouver. The goal is not only to train, but also to help lower barriers for women participating in triathlon.
Currently, women make up an impressive 34 per cent of registered participants in the T100 weekend, happening June 14 to 15. While the goal is always to grow that number, it is a sign that Davies and Reyes’ effort are having an impact on a host of different events being held over the race weekend. Those events include the 5km Sun Up Run on the Saturday, followed by a post run yoga powered by lululemon. It’s a great entry-level event that allows participants to be a part of the T100 weekend without taking on the full 100km triathlon main event.
Wading into uncertain waters
It’s a pathway into triathlon familiar to Davies and Reyes’ own personal journeys. When Davies first got involved in triathlon she, in hindsight, put limitations on herself with respect to the distance she thought she could have success at.
“I came to the realization that I had placed limitations on myself thinking I could never do a long distance triathlon. I vowed to prove to myself that I can do hard things and be on the other side of the fence the next time, and have since fell in love with this sport and its inspiring community,” she shared.
For Reyes, it was the goal of testing herself beyond what she had previously accomplished.
“I wanted to prove to myself that I could do what seemed like the impossible. Triathlon created an avenue for me to challenge myself and show myself how resilient and strong I can be,” she said.
Fostering community and support
Together, the women host a yearly Women in Triathlon night that focuses on connection and self-empowerment by working with local experts and brands, they explained. The event has had two successful years so far, and each time the participation numbers have doubled. With the opportunity for more exciting local races through T100 Vancouver, they are hoping that number triples next year.
Davies and Reyes expanded their involvement with the local triathlon community through their roles as T100 Community Captains in part because of their view that triathlon can offer a way for women to be active for life. Through the sport, women not only get the opportunity to improve their fitness, but also lean on the sport and community for healthy physical and mental well-being. By fostering community, and understanding the unique challenges women encounter trying to get involved and stay in sport, Davis and Reyes value the opportunity they have created to share in those struggles and challenges in order to the strengthen the community as a whole.
The T100 Vancouver race weekend kicks off with the main event, featuring a 2-km swim, 80-km bike and 18-km run, taking place on Saturday with the pro men starting in the morning and the pro women just before lunch. The age-group events kick off with a junior draft-legal race on Saturday, followed by a sprint distance race and the main 100km event on Sunday.