REGINA, Saskatchewan — The University of Regina is not only known for its experiential learning and career preparation. As a member of U Sports, the public research university takes sports very seriously as well. In addition to having many men’s and women’s sports teams, the varsity also has several club teams, among which is the University of Regina Triathlon Club.

The University of Regina Triathlon Club joined the Saskatchewan Triathlon family when it was founded in 2017, alongside Swift Current Multisport Club. The new Club, founded by James Lorenzen, the Club’s President, was immediately incorporated into the Saskatchewan Triathlon Association Corporation (STAC).

The U of R Triathlon Club aims to provide interested University of Regina triathletes with multisport training and competitive events. Membership to the Club is open to interested U of R triathletes willing to work hard, whether they have vast experience or zero experience in the sport. Interested persons can join as triathletes or single-sport athletes.

Russell Kohrs is an example of a student-athlete whose involvement in the U of R Triathlon Club was marked by improvements in his swimming skills. He commended the Club and his coach at the time, Billy Smith, for his progress in the space of about six months. Along with the video he posted showing his newly mastered swimming skills on social media, Russell wrote, “I’m very happy with the progress I’ve made in my swimming over the past 6 months and am looking forward to a summer of triathlons with the U of R Triathlon Club. Thanks for the pointers Billy Smith!”

Club members participate in several competitive events, such as the 2017 Las Vegas Rock’ n Roll Half Marathon, where Benjamin Berger participated as an endurance athlete and finished as one of the top 5% out of more than 19,000 other marathons finishers. In addition, Zac Lang and other Club members participated in the track race at the Echo Lake Multisport Festival held in June 2018. Ashley Balzer also represented the Club at the 2018 Prairie Summit Shop Run-It Race, where she finished in 3rd place.

Meanwhile, in 2019, three Cougars–James Lorenzen, Sean Hooper, and Russell Kohrs–made it to the ITU World Triathlon Grand Final held in Lausanne, Switzerland, from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1. James finished 41st in the 20-24 Male AG Sprint category at 01:12:20, while Sean Hooper finished 64th with 01:16:52 in the 25-29 Male AG Sprint category. Russ, however, joined in the standard race 25-29 Male AG, where he came 74th with 02:40:43. The trio also participated in the Brent Gibson memorial Icebreaker.

After a break due to the pandemic, student-athletes can now resume using the university’s facilities for training and practicing in swimming, running and biking. However, participants must do everything under the strict health and safety guidelines provided by the University’s Health, Safety, and Wellness team. The safety protocols the University put in place will ensure the safety of the coaches, students, and staff through three-metre physical distancing, use of masks, staggered schedules, cleaning regimes and contact tracing measures.

Brendan Mackenzie, Triathlon Saskatchewan’s provincial coach, will be coaching the new season, expected to start in the fall. In preparation for the competitions, organized practices for the different sports began on Sept. 13, with lots of workouts.

It is nice to note that the Club does not require participants to be expert swimmers or own fancy bikes before becoming members.

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