Darlington students Margaret Hjort (’11), Mary Bailey Jones (’12) and Melissa Picon (’12) placed third in the female relay division of the third annual Navigator Sprint Triathlon with a time of 1:31:07. The event, a fundraiser for Cancer Navigators, took place Oct. 10 on the Darlington campus.
“Melissa mentioned to me that there was a triathlon taking place on Darlington’s campus,” Hjort said. “Because she swims competitively and I run competitively, we figured it would be a fun idea to participate in the relay division. All we needed was a biker. Mary Bailey is one of our close friends and she is very athletic and physically fit, so we decided to ask her to join us. She agreed and we all decided to enter the race as Team Triple M.”
The girls said they were very pleased with their third-place finish and even a bit surprised considering it was their first triathlon ever.
“Our parents left after we competed and the three of us stayed behind for the awards ceremony,” Jones said. “Jokingly, I called my mom afterwards and told her we received third place overall for the relay teams. Well, the next morning when she was reading the newspaper she found out that we really did place third for the women’s teams. I could not believe it!”
The only Upper School students to participate, Hjort, Jones and Picon joined more than 200 other triathletes in the competition.
“I was surprised at the turnout,” Hjort said. “I also did not expect to see so many experienced racers. It was intimidating at first! But our main goal was to go out and have fun, and we definitely did that. It was neat to compete on our school’s campus under different circumstances than our cross country meets. I liked the change in scenery. I have run our cross country course countless times and having the opportunity to race on a different course kept me focused and excited.”
All the proceeds raised by the triathlon will be donated to Cancer Navigators, a local organization that provides resources to all who are touched by the life-changing process of dealing with cancer.
“I wanted to participate in this particular triathlon because it benefits cancer research,” Jones said. “I felt moved to be part of it because of my friendship with Jordan Muschamp (’13). We have been neighbors and close friends since childhood and I felt like this was something I could do to support him in his battle with cancer.”
The members of Team Triple M said they all had a great time and they hope to participate in other triathlons in the future – possibly even the Tri for the Kids Olympic Distance Triathlon for adults in May.
“At the Navigator Triathlon, there were so many athletic competitors that were incredible! But there were also a ton of racers out there just to have fun, get fit and support a great cause,” Picon said. “It made me realize that triathlons can be for everyone. At first I thought finishing the race could just be something to check off the bucket list, but participating with two of my best friends was something I would love to do again.”
