The Comox Valley Triathlon Club held its first Triathlon Expo on Saturday, May 25 at Shoreline Orthodontics on Cliffe Avenue in Courtenay. The expo was geared toward all triathlons but was timed to coincide with the local annual Shoreline Orthodontics Tri-K.
The expo was held in conjunction with TriBC, who sponsored the event. The expo featured three guest speakers, each having achieved national status within the sport of triathlon.
Matt Sharpe is a previous Canada Junior Elite champion, who is now on the National Development team. His first triathlon was the local Tri-K as he was raised in Campbell River.
Gillian Clayton, also born and raised in Campbell River, won the female amateur division Ironman Canada in 2011 and then the female professional division Ironman Canada in 2012. Gillian, who is 26 weeks pregnant, also competed in the Tri-K race the following day.
Gillian and Matt spoke about their individual journeys to becoming an elite triathlete and the importance of setting goals to achieve it.
Kelly Guest, who was on Canada’s Commonwealth Games team for 2002 and was named Canada’s Off Road Triathlete of the Year in 2007, gave a humorous talk about transitions, emphasizing the importance of taking your time to mount and dismount correctly. This was of particular interest to a number of first-time triathletes in the audience.
All three guest speakers clearly made a big impression on the audience. A large number of spectators formed, most remaining throughout the afternoon and enjoying the cooperation of the weather.
Vicki Lundine, a director of TriBC and their representative at the expo, said, "The expo was a great event. The speakers were all well received and we are grateful for the support of the local clubs and businesses involved. It was a fun afternoon!!"
In addition to the speakers, the expo had exhibitions from CV Tri Club, CV Road Runners, Extreme Runners and Simons Cycles. In addition to their support, thanks are also given to Thrifty Foods, Shoreline Orthodontics, Forerunners Running Club and KidSport. Additional thanks are given to the organizers of the Tri-K for allowing the expo to be linked to their race.
– Comox Valley Triathlon Club