TOWAMENCIN – North Penn High School hosted the eleventh annual IronKnights Triathlon on Saturday. Students representing all thirteen elementary schools competed in a three-part event consisting of swimming, biking, and running. 

The event was organized by Montgomery Elementary gym teacher Jason Theodore, who shared his thoughts on the event and the reason for having it.

“This event is not for everyone,” said Theodore. “The whole idea behind this event was to create something for kids to shoot for who aren’t athletes. The ones who don’t play baseball, the ones who don’t play softball or run track but still care about their fitness level, that’s what this is for.”

Contributing a major role to the triathlon is Scott Crayder, who is the gym teacher at North Wales Elementary. Crayder voiced his appreciation for the families within the North Penn School District.

“We have almost 1,800 families who are getting into working out and exercising and making fitness a part of their lives together,” shared Crayder. “The gratitude of the families and the appreciation that they have for what we do is the greatest thing.”

Participants in the event demonstrated strong acts of courage and perseverance throughout the entire duration of the day. For many, this was their first time swimming, biking for speed, and running for a longer distance. Seeing the kids fight through everything to cross the finish line was truly amazing. 

Having these students getting exercise was of great importance for Theodore, who discussed what had the greatest impact on him being able to run this event year after year. 

“The thing that pleases me the most is seeing the kids being active and doing something; setting an exercise goal and finishing for today,” explained Theodore. “That’s the greatest thing to see is that they’re culminating with this event and they are working so hard at it.”

Having the ability to compete for one’s self is one of the reasons this triathlon is as successful as it is. It offers students the opportunity to have fun without having to worry about anyone else and how well they may have done. 

While many students came out to compete, many did not attend. Knowing that there were plenty of students not in attendance, Theodore shared some words of encouragement for those kids to give it a shot in the coming years.

“For those kids and families, I would encourage them to take a look at this because this is something that they can be proud of and not have to be a part of a team for,” said Theodore. 

All around, the 2023 IronKnights Triathlon was a success. From all the kids that competed to all the volunteers at the event, everything ran smoothly and everyone seemed to have a good time. This event has continued to be a success and will continue to be a cornerstone for strengthening the North Penn community.