Triathletes Train with Viking Spirit

by Danielle Figueira

Kristen Lamb P’22, ’24 (Elementary•Middle School parent) and Jaquelin Hubbard (EMS teacher) have already accomplished the milestone, competing in seven and eight Ironman races respectively, while Jenni and Alex Leikikh P’20 (High School parents) and Lauren Torres (High School teacher) will be attempting the grueling race for the first time.

The concept sounds simple in theory: swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, run 26.2 miles, and become an Ironman. But the conditioning involved to get the body in physical shape for such a feat is far from simple. It requires hours of arduous training and is a lifestyle that not many people choose—and few can endure. But these five folks, brought together by Landmark, have all taken the plunge.

Kristen Lamb, mother of Will ’22 and Carter ’24,  is often asked how she makes time for her family and the intense training. “I’ve always said family comes first. If my training clients have to choose, I encourage them to sacrifice the workout,” she said. “It’s taken me a long time to find Ironman, but once I found it I knew that in order to live out this passion, I needed to make sure my family life was taken care of.”

“I get my workouts done early in the morning or while the kids are at school so I’m available for ‘mom’ things like pick-up and afterschool activities, helping with homework, making dinner, etc. Triathlon training is what gives me the energy I need to be present for my husband and kids.”

Clearly a driven individual, Lamb’s ability to inspire, teach, and coach others in the sport sets her apart from other elite athletes.

COMING TOGETHER AS A GROUP

In 2013, Jaquelin Hubbard became Will’s tutorial teacher. On the first day of class, Will realized that his teacher and his mom were training to compete in the same triathlons: Syracuse 70.3 (also known as a half-Ironman) and the Ironman Lake Placid. In true Landmark spirit, Will knew he had to connect the two. A close friendship developed as Kristen coached Jaquelin for the next several years, helping her achieve a personal record at Ironman Lake Placid 2018.

In another Landmark turn-of-events, Jenni Leikikh, mother of Katya Leikikh ’20, started competing in shorter triathlons years ago with Kristen as her coach. She loved the sport so much that she convinced her husband, Alex, to start training and together they will compete at Ironman Lake Placid 2019.

Back on Hale Street, after meeting Kristen at a training camp, High School teacher Lauren Torres decided she also wanted to make the leap and start training for her first Ironman, with Kristen as her trusted coach—bringing the Landmark group up to five.

The Landmark community will be cheering for this determined group of Vikings when they cross the finish line at Lake Placid on July 28, 2019.

Article originally published in The Lantern, Fall 2018/Winter 2019.

 

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