What makes a great athlete? Is it natural born talent? Is it hard work and dedication? For Anthony Repay and Kevin Toney, they each seem to possess some of both. But, in order to be successful in a sport, every athlete has their secret. In their case, it is the ultimate push. The drive to be better. The insatiable thirst to be a herculean athlete.
Repay and Toney are two examples of high school students that have jumped on the recent trend of triathlete training. A triathlon is an athletic contest that usually consists of three events: swimming, cycling, and running. Repay and Toney individually participate in triathlons on and off season in their spare time.
The question is, will the trend of participating in triathlons take off among other athletes at Noll?
For Toney, a sophomore involved in the cross country team and swim team at Noll, his belief is that competing in such physically and mentally challenging events could make or break an athlete. He encourages student athletes to try it if they want to push the limits of both their minds and bodies.
“I do triathlons because I want to find my limits,” Toney said. “If you don’t know where your limits are, you can’t pass them. Your body can do a lot more than your mind tells you.”
Repay, a junior that played football, a conference champ in the pool and a hurdler on the track, sees the triathlon as the ultimate sport–what every athlete serious about their role should consider doing.
“I do it personally for fun and staying in shape is just a plus,” says Repay. “I would recommend anyone to do this with the proper training and experience.”
Training for these events can be hard work and it involves dedication and a driven mind. Both Toney and Repay admit that to get anywhere, you have to be able to push yourself and possess endurance.
Will Toney and Repay continue their hobby?
It’s very likely, they admit.