Triathlon seeks to empower women

2003 was a year that Marc Rubin will never forget. When the year started, Rubin, now 40, weighed nearly 320 pounds, and his exercise routine was nonexistent. By the end of the year, he was competing in triathlons, shedding pounds at an astounding rate. But the year was marked by more than just weight loss. Rubin also lost his father to prostate cancer that summer, and it had a profound impact on his outlook on life.

"My father's death really motivated me to lose weight and be healthy," said Rubin, an attorney. "I needed to shift my priorities."

That same year, Lewis Elliot, a professional triathlete who routinely competes in Ironman competitions, lost his mother to breast cancer.

As a way to honor their loved ones, Rubin, Elliot and a third founder, Preston Miller, who had also been affected by breast cancer, started the TRI Scottsdale Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping people achieve health and wellness through participation in triathlons.

One of the events that TRI Scottsdale started is the TRI For The Cure, an all-woman triathlon that benefits the Susan G. Komen breast cancer foundation.

"The purpose of the event is to empower women," said Rubin, who has lost 150 pounds since 2003. "Anyone can do the race, whether they be regular triathletes or first-timers."

This year's TRI For The Cure will take place on Sunday, April 20, at Chandler's Arrowhead Meadows Park, 1475 W. Erie St. The warm-up area will open at 5 a.m. The youth race will start at 6 a.m. and the adult race will start at approximately 7:15 a.m. All athletes must be at the warm-up area by 6 a.m.

Though the event is not as grueling as a typical triathlon, it does include a swimming event, a bike-riding event and a running event. The children's event will be open to children ages 6 to 14.

For those who are unsure about how to train to compete in such an event, TRI Scottsdale has posted training programs and nutritional guides on their Web site, triforthecureaz.com. The site also features a map of the triathlon course, as well as registration information and other general guidelines.


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