Naperville triathlon runs on volunteers' enthusiasm

Every year after the last wave of women in the Naperville Women's Triathlon complete almost a half-mile's worth of swimming there are about 20 people left behind at Centennial Beach.

They aren't competitors. They're swim buddies.

"We just try to lend a helping hand and give [the competitors] the encouragement they need to get through the swimming part of the race," said Chris Colburn, swim buddies coordinator. "If they don't know how to swim very well or if they have some apprehension about being out in deep water themselves, we swim along with them."

Colburn and his team, who are always the last to get out of the water to ensure every woman is safe, are just a handful of around 150 people who volunteer annually at the triathlon. Other jobs include marking the athletes' bodies with competition numbers, handing out water and Gatorade and setting up the finish line area.

"We need a lot of helping hands to put on an event in such a short amount of time," said Nate Beyler, volunteer coordinator from Capri Events, one of the companies organizing the triathlon.

Although there's usually a good turnout of volunteers for the race, there's always room for more.

"It's really hard to recruit new people and convince them this is a good thing for some odd reason," he said. "I don't know if it's because of the early start time, but - if you're a group leader, this is a good way to get your team out to help out and give back to the athletic community."

Capri Events donates about $150 to groups of 10 or more that volunteer for four to five hours.

Money isn't the primary reason why volunteers and spectators have kept coming out to the triathlon for more than a decade. Colburn, for example, finds helping more than 2,000 women during the race to be a very rewarding experience.

"To see the smiles on their faces and to see the sense of accomplishment is something that, as a swimming coach coaching adults for 20 years, I like to see," he said.

Memories of women experiencing moments of strife followed by success, including a struggling competitor in the water two years ago, also keeps him coming back.

"This woman could barely swim," he said. "She's floating along and she's doing her best, but she's scared."

For 25 minutes all the swim buddies surrounded the woman, never touching her, but staying by her side for safety and encouragement.

"We all get out of the water and she gives a couple of us a big hug and off she goes," Colburn said. "And we all kind of looked around and were like, 'OK, this is why we do this.'"

Just as important as the volunteers who provide services to make the women feel safe and comfortable, are the thousands of people who form a huge crowd to cheer on the competitors.

Jane Canepa, president of Eventors, another company helping to organize the race, said about 4,000 to 6,000 spectators are expected and "the support and the love and the caring" from people on the sidelines is what makes the triathlon successful.

"When you see the little kids with signs and flowers or things they've made so they can greet the participants, it's very special," she said.

Canepa advises those looking for a prime place to watch the triathlon to go to Centennial Beach, where the swimming portion of the race and transition area is located. She also encourages everyone who has any connection to a competitor to volunteer or just add to the cheers along the course.

"You can sleep in any other morning," she said. "If somebody has the passion to do this, the best you can do if you're their friend or neighbor or co-worker is come and show them that you're supporting what they're doing."

How to volunteerAnyone is welcome to volunteer at the triathlon, either individually or in groups. Two groups of 10 or more people are still needed for this year's race. Volunteers check in between 4:45 and 6:45 a.m., depending on where they are volunteering at on the course. Jobs range from handing out water bottles to marking the athletes with competition numbers. Volunteers should expect to stay until the end of the race, which usually concludes around 1 p.m. Visit www.uswts.com and click on the volunteering tab or contact Nate Beyler at volunteer@caprievents.com to sign up to be a volunteer.True20001378Volunteers are needed to perform countless tasks at Sunday's Naperville Women's Triathlon - including passing out water to competitors. Roughly 150 people help out each year, but organizers say more volunteers are always needed.Daily Herald file photoTrue