FORT KENT, Maine — Once upon a time, my aunt described me as “the most unathletic kid on the planet.”
It was an honest and frankly somewhat generous description.
You see, I was that kid who did everything possible to avoid gym class and organized sports from kindergarten up through high school.
Oh, I loved recess and playing outside as a youngster and that evolved into an appreciation for being out in nature as I grew up.
But being really active inside or outdoors? Not so much.
That attitude hung on until well into my 30s and then, for no reason I can put my finger on, I wandered into a bike shop and decided I wanted to get into cycling.
It was a wobbly start, but from there, things got more active as cross country skiing, snowshoeing and mushing sled dogs were added to the list.
Most recently, I picked up trail running — or trail “plodding” as I like to call it. Now hardly a day goes by I’m not outside doing something that, by at least a liberal definition of the word, can be viewed as “athletic,” as I train for several cycling events, a triathlon, a smattering of 5K races and even one of those “Spartan” obstacle races that involves running, climbing, slithering and jumping through fire. And yes, if I survive, you can bet that will produce a future column.
And this is my message for the day — I will never be the fastest, strongest, lightest or best at any of these sports. But I can get out there and participate and if I can do it, so can you.
As it happens, that’s one of the goals of a new endeavor started by my friend and athletic inspiration Jonathan Kelley in Presque Isle.
Now, Jonathan is what I like to call an “uber athlete.” He takes part in Ironman-type triathlons and long-distance bike races. This past winter he competed in something called a “snow pentathlon” in Quebec City in which he and his teammates snowshoed, skied, biked, ran and skated over the Plains of Abraham.
Elite athlete? You bet he is. Elitist as an individual? No how, no way.
Jonathan is all about supporting anyone who has the desire to get up off the couch and start an active lifestyle right here in northern Maine.
That’s one of the goals behind his newly formed CompetitorME organization, designed to create or manage triathlon and running events in Aroostook County and coach those who participate in them — from first timers to professionals.
“I am able to take the coaching component and the event organizing component and fuse those together,” Jonathan — a certified triathlon coach — told me the other day. “My goal for CompetitorMe is not to have every event a single event, but part of a greater movement.”
A big part of that movement, he says, is setting people up for a lifestyle change.
A few years ago, Jonathan looked around and saw how popular triathlon racing was becoming and decided we needed one in northern Maine.
In 2012, Tri Aroostook was born — a “sprint” triathlon with a 525-yard swim, 10.25-mile bike ride and 5-kilometer run.
That first year, he said, 95 percent of the close to 100 participants were first-time triathloners.
I was among them, putting the “try” into triathlon.
“Every year it amazes me the people who face the challenge of anything that allows them to realize they are able to do more than they think they are able to do,” Jonathan said. “Plus, I like an underdog — whether it is someone who thinks they can’t do a triathlon or who thinks they can’t keep up on a group run. I tell them, ‘No, you can do this,’ and now I am in a position to really help them.”
Since the introduction of Tri Aroostook — on again for June 28 this year — Jonathan has added a children’s version of the race and has listed several running events for this summer, including his recent Autism Challenge 5K, which raised more than $4,700 for autism awareness and support in northern Maine.
Upcoming events include a Midsummer’s Night Glow Run 5 and 10K in July, a half marathon in August and a breast cancer support run/walk in October.
“The inspiration behind what brings athletes to each of these events is what inspires me,” Jonathan told me. “Many are facing their own adversities and in the process of taking part in these events, they grow.”
Choking up a bit, Jonathan talked about a mother who told him that taking part in one of his events changed her life, about the determination in a young child who had been told he was never good enough to compete but ended up finishing a youth triathlon, and about a father running to cope with the loss of his soldier son. He recalled each of them thanking him for making their accomplishments possible.
“I did not change their lives — they did that,” he said. “They have looked inside themselves and became inspired by their life lessons and that allowed them to unlock and cultivate what they can really do.”
Certainly, Jonathan’s events have worked that magic on me, as I train for my third Tri Aroostook.
Many of us run for a reason. I do it to honor my late husband as I kick dirt into the face of the cancer that robbed him from me.
Every year, about 100 feet from the finish line, there’s a widely grinning Jonathan — who lost his father to cancer — waiting to sprint that final distance with me.
There is a lot of emotion that comes with crossing a finish line and I am not ashamed to admit both he and I are shedding a few tears when we do.
That one moment makes all the training miles on the bike, all the plodding around the Rusty Metal Farm trails with my somewhat bossy 5k iPhone training app all worth it.
Sure, I may still be among the most unathletic people on the planet, but as we who venture out regardless of skill are fond of saying, we are still lapping the guy on the couch.
And we’d love to have you join us. Check out all of CompetitorME’s events at http://www.competitorme.com/
Julia Bayly of Fort Kent is an award-winning writer and photographer who writes part time for Bangor Daily News. Her column appears here every other Friday. She can be reached by email at jbayly@bangordailynews.com.
