WHEN ONE SPORT IS NOT ENOUGH

By  ELIZABETH ALLEGRO

An athletic contest consisting of swimming, cycling and long distance running sounds like a nightmare for most, but for Owen Rowlands it is something he really loves to do.  While many Wizards know Owen as an extremely talented swimmer, they may not know he has also been competing in triathlons since he was 11 years old and travels to races far and wide in order to take part.  As a nationally ranked triathlete, Owen Rowlands is truly making a name for himself in the world of competitive sports.

Triathlon history dates back to the early 1970s and originated with the San Diego Track Club. The triathlon was designed to be an alternative to hard track training and can be an individual or team event. 

People are not surprised when they discover Owen's passion for the sport.  His friend from the swim team, London Cuevas, has known him since their freshman year and was not shocked one bit that Owen participated in triathlons. "Owen has always been a hard worker in practice so it was no surprise to me that he took it up a few notches by doing probably one of the hardest sports." Owen enjoys this form of competition more than swimming but, sadly, there are only triathlon teams for women in college. 

ELIZABETH ALLEGRO FOR THE WIZARD WEEKLY

Once the varsity swim season is over, Owen begins his training. "I have to do at least  two aspects of the race a day.  Usually I swim everyday and alternate between biking and running each day. I train upwards of four hours a day." He claimed that his talents in each category are rather well rounded, however, the running tends to be more difficult. This past summer he competed in sprint distance triathlons. A sprint distance triathlon is a ½ mile swim, a 12.4 mile bike, a 3.1 mile run. Next summer he will take on the challenge of  Olympic distance triathlons which is a 0.93 mile swim, 24.8 mile bike and a 6.2 mile run. 

Taking on such a difficult feat may seem intimidating to most and competing definitely takes a tremendous amount of time and effort. Owen shared that his main motivation is “to accomplish his  goals each season and his ultimate goal of competing at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii." With many accomplishments already under his belt, it is very inspiring that Owen continues toward his goals. With a mindset like this, Owen is capable of accomplishing all he sets out to do. Good luck to him in his further competitions!