A beaming Emily Carter had the whole crowd rooting for her as she completed her race.
"I was so happy and I felt so special," said Carter, the final competitor of 141 participants to cross the finish line Sunday at the 18th annual Kids Fun Triathlon. "I felt like a celebrity with everyone following me in."
The 15 year old had put a scare into the athletes and parents at Fort George Park when she fainted two laps shy of completing her run. An ambulance was called to take care of Carter and with the support of everyone in the park the determined young woman walked across the finish line.
Technically, Carter was one lap shy of completing the two-kilometre run but it didn't matter to anyone. And as one of only two competitors in the female 15 division, Carter received a silver medal. A triathlon involves competitors taking part in three disciplines, swimming, cycling and running, with the distance of their race dependent on their age. Younger athletes compete at shorter distances.
The Kids Triathlon is open to athletes to compete as a team or individually between the ages of four and 15.
When she finished the race Carter showed no signs of an athlete who had just passed out. She had refused the paramedics suggestion that she go to the hospital but compromised when told she shouldn't finish the race, walking instead of running.
"I just really wanted to finish it, especially because it was my last one and I'm pretty competitive so I wanted to keep going," said Carter.
Carter said she suffers from Asthma and she didn't have an inhaler with her. Despite her illness, Carter also plays junior A volleyball at College Heights secondary school where she's going into Grade 10 and swims with the Pisces Swim Club.
"The only thing that was going through my mind was - I have to get up. I have to finish. I don't want to stop," said Carter.
It wasn't the first time Carter made a scene at the triathlon.
"In my first one I accidentally ran into a fire truck with my bike and this year I fainted," she laughed, adding the 2011 competition was uneventful.
In other race categories the gold medals were won by: Euan Murray (boys under-eight), Ava Toyata (girls under-eight), Elijah Lazar (boys nine-10), Mackenzie Connon (girls nine-10), Mark Buchanan (boys 13-14) and Kaia Malin Andal (girls 13-14). For the winners in the 11-12 divisions see story on page 11.
Carter's best friend Ariel Gilbert was the only other athlete in the female 15 division, finishing the 200-metre swim, eight-km bike ride and two-km run with a time of 34 minutes, 31 seconds (0:34.31). Carter's time was 2:31.31.
Carter's little sister Kate finished third in the female 9-10 division completing the 100m swim, four-km bike and one-km run in 0:23.51. Kate said seeing her sister looking so pale and passing out frightened her.
"I was so scared," said the bronze medalist.
Even though she's too old to compete in the Kids Triathlon in 2013, Carter said her next goal is to work towards doing a full triathlon one day. Hopefully with no mishaps.
