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Naperville triathlon guides fitness journey for women

On the surface, it looks like Gildan Esprit de She puts on a women's triathlon in Naperville.

The event starts at 7 a.m. Sunday, June 12, and, during it, women swim, bike and run their way to the finish line.

But few, if any, athletes leave their triathlon experience at such a basic, surface level. Many of the 2,000-plus women set to compete Sunday are using the race as a focus point on their fitness and wellness journey.

Take the 500 novice triathletes who may be attempting an endurance event for the first time in their lives.

Or the 30 participants in the honorary survivor wave, all of whom have survived cancer or are undergoing treatment on the way to becoming well.

Or take 40-year-old Fredricka Holloway of Carol Stream, who blogs about healthy living and is an Esprit de She ambassador for Sunday's race.

She's been competing in triathlons for 19 years and, recently, she started training with two swim coaches and a running group. She bought cleats and clips for her biking shoes and she focuses on nutrition to fuel her performance.

She's excited for race day because it brings her back to her days at the all-girls Trinity High School in River Forest, when she loved the feeling of empowerment she got from being surrounded by women.

  Centennial Beach in Naperville is the venue for the half-mile swim in the Gildan Esprit de She Triathlon in Naperville. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com, JUNE 2015

“There's a camaraderie,” Holloway said. “There's competition, but it's very much all love and support.”

Then there's 29-year-old Becky Sampson of Naperville, who has come a long way in her own fitness journey.

She previously struggled with anorexia, but last year, after completing her first triathlon at the Esprit de She event, Sampson felt ready to speak out.

“There is healthy life with an eating disorder,” Sampson said she wants others to know.

During National Eating Disorders Awareness Week in February, she shared some photos of herself at her lowest weight that she previously had kept private “to inspire others with body issues to know all healthy bodies are beautiful.”

Triathlon organizers encourage a focus on fitness and wellness that goes beyond the race itself by offering training webinars and in-person clinics, said Lindsey Sachs, Gildan Esprit de She brand manager.

Holloway noted race organizers' tips about the importance of drinking water and eating healthy as she trained, heightening her awareness about being well.

“There's a consciousness of being able to get people active and moving and away from the phone and the computer,” she said. “You see a trend of more people trying to be active and do things differently.”

Come Sunday, the triathlon will be what it looks like: a race. Participants will swim a half-mile at Centennial Beach, bike 13.3 miles around Naperville and finish with a 3.1-mile run.

Holloway and Sampson say they're both aiming to improve their times from last year. But others may be excited to finish no matter what it says on the clock, or even to complete one leg of the tri as part of a relay team, Sachs said. Racers range from 13 to 85 years old, from sprinter fast to tortoise slow. And that's more than OK.

  About 2,000 participants in the Gildan Esprit de She Naperville Triathlon will complete the race with a 3.1-mile run on Sunday. Mark Black/mblack@dailyherald.com, JUNE 2015

“It's really neat to be able to unite that broad range of athletes,” Sachs said.

Following the race, women will be treated to a “bubbly bar” with nonalcoholic sangria and samplings of tapas. A lifestyle market will feature what Sachs described as “a collection of both local and national brands that really represent the healthy way of life,” such as a new line of beef jerky, protein snacks and fresh produce.

A beauty bar will offer massages, manicures and hair-braiding. Post-race photos will be free for racers who want to snap a shot with their finishers' medal, complete with a charm.

Racers say there's more to this triathlon than meets the eye, and that speaks to the strength of the women participating.

“I still have internal battles of weight. I still have doubts about completing the race,” Sampson said. “But having support around me and remembering the strong women I got to meet last year helps keep me going.”

Registration costs $110 at espritdeshe.com/events/triathlon/naperville/ or at packet pickup from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 11, at Naper Settlement, 523 S. Webster St.

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