The life of a triathlete is never dull. After balancing workouts in three sports, it seems there would be no time left for other activities. However, the adventurous spirit of many triathletes spills over to all aspects of their lives, as they juggle a jumble of additional responsibilities.
One such triathlete is CU's own Kevin King. Kevin has been involved with the University of Colorado Triathlon Team for four years. Throughout his college career, he has served as team treasurer, co-captain, vice-president, president, and even shared in coaching duties.
Kevin joined the team in 1991 after having done only one triathlon. The team was then a loosely affiliated group of triathletes. He was surprised at first that "it didn't quite fit the strong team image I had imagined." But since then, things have changed.
In 1993, Kevin was responsible for organizing the team's first journey to the newly designated site of the National Collegiate Championships--the Wildflower Triathlon in California. "I learned a lot from that effort," Kevin said, which helped him play another integral role in the 1994 organizational efforts. The efforts paid off, as Kevin, along with 20 other CU athletes, brought the national title home to Boulder.
But, Kevin King is more than a triathlete. In addition to lending his organizational skills to the triathlon team, Kevin spends much of his time helping out the community as a whole. Kevin is part of the INVST Program at CU, which is a two year educational program involving eight academic classes and two summer internship experiences. The program is designed to train community leaders with the skills necessary to effectively organize and make a positive difference in society.
Last summer, Kevin volunteered at the Samaritan House, a homeless shelter in Denver, and traveled to the Dane Indian Reservation in Arizona. After he receives his degree in Psychology this May, Kevin will be finishing up his INVST service by making a trip to either Mexico, Jamaica or El Salvador.
Kevin currently has another project in the works. He is organizing a bike-a-thon as a fund raiser for Habitat for Humanity and INVST. During the last 21 days of May, Kevin and several other fund raisers will be riding from Denver to Los Angeles. "We will be stopping in towns along the way for community events, ride-alongs with kids, and to make connections and raise donations for Habitat for Humanity," Kevin said.
Kevin is excited and looking forward to the adventure. He is also looking for tips from anyone with similar experiences and for people interested in helping out by riding or giving donations for the trip.
In the meantime, Kevin feels the chances of CU repeating as National Champions at Wildflower this year look pretty good. "If I see the same kind of attitude as last year, I think we'll win," said Kevin.
* This article was written for the CU Triathlon Team (Spring 1995).