Camaraderie the watchword at Esprit de She in Naperville
Camaraderie and community were just as important as competition Sunday at the Gildan Esprit de She Naperville Triathlon.
As contestants battled the water, the pedal and the ground, they also inspired each other along the way.
"Everybody here is so encouraging," said Naperville resident Gina Novotny, who was competing for the first time. "They're like, 'Oh, you're not here with a buddy? You'll be our buddy.'"
Novotny overcame reservations about the swimming part and decided to take the plunge.
"I'm not getting any younger, and I just want to do it," she said.
The fact that the event only admits women made it easier for many who otherwise might not have considered competing.
"I love that it's all women," said Katie Radasevich of Naperville.
Radasevich was buoyed by the support of family along the way, as well as cheerful thoughts of her upcoming marriage. She bested her previous year's time by 4 minutes, crossing the finish line in 1 hour, 25 minutes.
Suzi Berner of Wheaton was the first to finish, although, with staggered starts, she didn't necessarily post the best time.
She was among several cancer survivors in the race, having battled and overcome stage 1 ovarian cancer about 25 years ago.
At the beginning of the race, the first wave of swimmers included survivors and those supporting survivors. A large contingent showed up in support of Kim Hurley of Schererville, Indiana, who brought more than 30 members of the Northwest Indiana Triathletes.
Hurley, whose mom died of ovarian cancer five years ago, received a similar diagnosis in November. She said she has two more chemotherapy treatments before going on observation. On Sunday, she limited her participation to the run.
"I haven't been able to do anything for six months. I got blood clots in my lungs from chemo, so it was kind of a setback," she said. Still she said, "I feel good."
While the event provided a chance for women to bond, it also fostered the special bond between mother and daughter in the case of Jacky and Morgan Ormsby, who live in Carol Stream. Both have been training and competing in triathlons for five years.
"I like this one, because, for one, it's female oriented. Everybody is super nice and friendly. It's a local event for us," Jacky said.
Morgan came in with the first finishers, topping her previous fast time of 1 hour, 36 minutes. Now she plans to compete at the Ironman World Championship in Chattanooga, Tennessee.
"My coach calls it a Cinderella season," she said.
Not all the participants were Ironman athletes. Many like Katy McMullin of Elgin had one strength, in her case bicycling, while having to overcome weaknesses in the other events. For McMullin, the big challenge is running.
"This is a great first-start race for people. I call it the kinder, gentler version," she said. "Some of them are so competitive. This is more about just doing it. And I like that. They're not here to set super records. They're here to do it, to say I did one."