Less than two weeks away the Sackville Triathlon is set to take place starting from Lilas Fawcett Park at Silver Lake on the morning of Saturday, Aug. 21.
The triathlon brings out over 100 athletes each year and is growing.
One of those athletes this year is a Mount Allison student living in Sackville for the summer from Dartmouth, N.S.
Parker Vaughn is a 21-year-old swimmer and cross country runner who decided one day he’d pick up a bike and four years later he is a seasoned triathlon athlete. Vaughn competed at last years Canada Games in the triathlon event and now in his fourth summer of competing he already has two triathlons and two half marathons under his belt.
Vaughn says he’s always been a swimmer and running comes naturally to him. He considers the bike leg of the race to be the most difficult. But although he may lag behind during the cycling portion he plays catch up with the other competitors during the run.
“Once I get on my feet its all down hill from there – in a good way,” Vaughn says laughing.
Vaughn has been keeping in shape all summer and in the weeks leading up to the Sackville Triathlon he is training six times a week. Running everyday with bikes and swims at Silver Lake in between.
“The thing that I enjoy most about triathlons is that you can mix it up, it’s the whole multi-sport thing,” Vaughn says. “And I’ve met a lot of really cool people because people of all ages and walks of life train together.”
Registration for all events begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 21, at Lillas Fawcett Park.
