It's time to meet more of the team!! One of the first people to jump in with Team RWB Triathlon, Rachel is super enthusiastic, motivated, and proud to wear the RWB Eagle! We're thrilled to call her teammate!
Name: Rachel Beck
2011 USAT Racing Age Group: 25-29
Occupation: U.S. Army Intelligence Officer
Hometown: Carey, Ohio
Why Triathlon? Racing keeps me motivated to stay physically fit, and triathlon is such a great sport because it offers variety and has a great community of people.
Do you have a favorite race? I’ve only been racing a few years and have raced all over the country. So far none of them stand out as a favorite, but a really fun race I did in 2008 was the Kure Beach Super Sprint in North Carolina where we did two ocean swims. It has been my only ocean swim race so far and being at the beach for the weekend and the race was a blast.
What is your best race memory? When I raced in the Tri For the Cure Arizona in April 2010 I felt great the entire race and knew I was moving at a fast pace. I ended up placing 2nd in my age group which is the only time I’ve placed in a race. I use that for extra motivation, to remind myself that I did it before so I can do it again.
When you reach the point of the race where you have to dig down deep, what do use as personal motivation? At that point I try to lift my head up and physically straighten up my posture to feel a little stronger, and I just remind myself that if others can do it, I can too. At the end of the race I don’t want to feel like I didn’t give everything.
What is your favorite leg of a triathlon and why? The bike because it’s my fastest event.
What is your favorite race distance, and why? So far I’ve only competed in Sprint distances, but this year I will be doing 2 Olympic distances to see how I like the longer races.
Besides triathlon, what do you do for fun? Scuba diving, cooking, reading, travel, and cheering on Ohio State and Army sports!
Why Team RWB and supporting our military? As an Army officer, I understand how important the Team RWB cause is. I enjoy racing for a cause – it helps me stay motivated, so when I had the opportunity to support a military cause, I was happy to join the team. Since I’ve started sporting some of my Team RWB gear I’ve gotten a lot of questions about what it is, and I really enjoy spreading the word about the great cause. I’m looking forward to this racing season more than any other because I already feel the incredible support from the Team RWB athletes and am looking forward to raising money for our veterans who truly need it.
Any other fun tidbits you’d like the team to know? Anything? I’m currently a graduate student at The Ohio State University so I love giving Mike Erwin (Team RWB founder) a hard time about how often we beat his Wolverines in football – but it’s a friendly rivalry! I’m studying City and Regional Planning and interning as a planning assistant at the City of Dublin, so I stay plenty busy between all of my triathlon training!
Planned 2011 Race Schedule:
February 6, 2011 – Indoor Triathlon at Ohio State (Sprint)– Columbus, Ohio
May 7, 2011 – Columbus Half Marathon – Columbus, Ohio
June 12, 2011 – Wendy’s International Triathlon (Sprint) – Lewis Center, Ohio
June 19, 2011 – D.C. Triathlon (Olympic) – Washington, D.C.
August 28, 2011 – Outer Limits Triathlon (Sprint) – Columbus, Ohio
September 11, 2011 – Nation’s Triathlon (Olympic) – Washington, D.C.
October 16, 2011 – Columbus Half Marathon – Columbus, Ohio
November 20, 2011 – Ironman Arizona – as a volunteer
I'll see you at the Nation's Tri in September, Rachel. Happy training!
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