Hundreds Participate In Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Triathlon
Posted
Jennifer Peryam-jperyam@timesuniononline.com
WINONA LAKE – Hundreds of participants competed in the 20th annual Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Triathlon Saturday in Winona Lake. There were 580 participants, according to race director Ron Donkers. The course included a quarter mile swim, 13.8-mile bike ride and 3.1-mile run. Funds were raised for the Optimist Club, whose mission is to assist children. John Morse, 62, of Goshen, said it was his 10th year doing the triathlon. He said he enjoys the swimming part, and the most challenging is the bicycling. He will do his 25th Iron Man in August and Saturday was his training for the Iron Man that will be in August in Louisville, Ky. Bill Pauley, 78, of Valparaiso, has done the triathlon in Winona Lake before, Saturday being his 10th year. Pauley said he enjoys the course and said it is a beautiful venue. “The lake’s good, the bike course challenging with hills and a beautiful country run,” Pauley said. Jennifer Sutton, 35, Columbus, Ohio, and her sister-in-law, Amanda Fannin, 28, did the triathlon together. Sutton has done other triathlons in Ohio, but it was Fanning’s first. Sutton said she is in a Triathlon Club in Ohio and said she enjoys triathlons. “I enjoy meeting new people and the feeling of accomplishment at the end of the race is great,” Sutton said. Fanning said she has always liked running and Sutton has tried to convince her to do a triathlon and this was the year to do it.
