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| Inspiring women of all ages, sizes, backgrounds and abilities to develop healthy lifestyles through multi-sport training, mentorship and commitment. |
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| Doctor Alyse Kelly-Jones saw women like herself in her Charlotte OB/GYN practice every day. The mother of three could relate all too well: many women are devoted to jobs and family, but they spend too little time on themselves. |
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| Kelly-Jones found improved physical health and balance in her busy life through triathlons. She knew first-hand that if women spend some time focusing on themselves each day, they would be better mothers, wives and partners. They would be better at living their own lives by challenging themselves, getting healthy, gaining self-confidence and self-esteem while building nurturing relationships. |
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| So in 2007, Kelly-Jones set out to round up 100 women who had never done a triathlon before. She and a handful of mentors led 140 first-time triathletes through 12 weeks of training to compete in the all-female, sprint-distance Ramblin' Rose triathlon in Huntersville, NC. Every woman from that group who started the race finished. Tri It For Life was born. |
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| In 2008, the group became a 501(c)3 nonprofit and began charging nominal membership fees for new athletes (to cover insurance). With each passing season, it's been growing bigger and stronger. |
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| The Tri It For Life specializes in nurturing each woman's goal of completing a triathlon by helping them break down barriers they often impose on themselves. New athletes are led through the training process by a band of volunteer mentors (mostly returning TIFL athletes who want to share the inspiration and motivation they received as newbies). They coach and encourage new triathletes at numerous members-only swim clinics, bicycle rides and running opportunities across the Charlotte area. |
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| Athletes don't just learn how to compete, they receive self-reliant education about bike maintenance (how to change a tire, clean a bike chain and other functions of the machine). At TIFL transition clinics and mock tris, athletes are building confidence in their ability to get out of the pool, jump on a bike, ride nine miles, jump off a bike and run two miles. |
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| Along the way, the athletes challenge and better themselves by getting healthy, gaining self-confidence and self-esteem, developing relationships with like-minded women. |
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| Each season ends with a celebration of our success: a carb-loading party. It's the culmination of several months of hard, dedicated work on the part of the athletes and their mentors, and a great rally as the group looks toward race day on Sunday. |
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