The Valley Triathlon: A Friendly Event

The rigorous event consisted of three parts. First, the tri-athletes traveled nearly a mile across Eagle Lake. Two of them swam while the others kayaked. After crossing the lake, they mountain biked for twelve miles. Finally, they closed the event out by running five miles.

This specific triathlon is distinct from others, because the competitors act as a team.

Kaleta called it a "friendly event." Saying, "We wait for everybody at the end of each stage." When asked who won, he declared, "We were all winners."

Sunday's triathlon brought a new possibility to the event. According to Kaleta, Kaitlyn Bernard and Vicky Bernard introduced roller-skiing to the Valley sector of the triathlon. He said, "That's what makes this event unique, anything goes!"

It is all about fun and good exercise with this group, according to Kaleta, who implied that they do it for "fun and
In fact, he enjoys the event because "[It] gives all participants a 3-4 hour cardiovascular workout, without taxing the muscles of one group too much! It's also a challenge to move from one event [to] another. And it's a nice way to spend part of a beautiful day!"

Overall, the weather cooperated.

Kaleta assessed the conditions. "A blustery and cool day made the swim a bit choppy, [but] the water was warm and [that] made it enjoyable. About half way across the wind began to ease! The bike and run went well, as the cool temperatures and low humidity gave perfect conditions!"

This was the 15^th year for the event, and they plan to continue for five more years. He said, "We would like to carry this event out until the 20^th anniversary. Then we plan to retire the event!"

Kaleta is a high school teacher with twenty years of experience, predominantly, at Fort Kent Community High School. He has also coached various sports, including Nordic skiing and cross country running. Moreover, he said he enjoys outdoor sports, which explains why he is involved in the triathlon.

In fact, he and Mark Kelly first introduced it to the area in 1990, and it was slightly different back then. "At that time, we swam the lake, biked to [Fort Kent], ran the mills, and biked back to Sly Brook."

The logistics may have changed, as well as some of the competitors, but the idea behind it has not. The Valley Triathlon is still a friendly competition that focuses on good health and exercise.

Kaleta's lasting words were, "[I] didn't want this to be a full blown event that is too competitive - just fun!"