TriGals in the NEWS! (Aired 11/2/2012)
A group for every kind of athlete …
We pride ourselves on welcoming all abilities and experiences into our group – one of the biggest questions we get is “I have never done a triathlon, can I still join your team?” The answer… ABSOLUTELY … our mission is to cultivate a welcoming environment for every kind of triathlete or multisport woman and provide a place where they believe they can achieve whatever goal they set.
And here is how it started…
The Westchase TriGals started informally in September, 2005. A group of women, led by veteran triathlete and chief motivator, Hillary Tucker, started training together with their sights set on making it to the 2006 Danskin Women’s Series Triathlon that May or the Subaru Triathlon in June. Most of the women (a group of about 20) had never raced before, and many hadn’t been active in sports in recent years. Others were proficient in one of the sports, but not the other two. Only a handful had tried all three, and they, along with Tucker, led the group to their first race. Every TriGal at the starting line at both races finished – and was cheered on by her friends and teammates. Since its informal beginnings, the group has grown into a larger entity, now hoping to give back to the community which has done so much to support it. The TriGals incorporated in June of 2006 and became a non-profit corporation. Funds raised before races and a percentage of membership dues will be given to the Westchase Charitable Foundation, a 501(c)3 non profit that relies on donations to help raise funds for families with seriously ill children or parents or a family tragedy.
In 2009, as we expanded outside the Westchase Community, we officially changed our name to Tampa Bay TriGals. We continue to mature as a group in our training, team spirit and volunteerism. In 2012, you will find our members competing (some for the first time) in the following events:
- Disney Marathon / Disney 1/2 Marathon, Goofy Marathon
- Gasparilla 1/2 Marathon, 15K
- Miami International Triathlon
- St. Anthony’s Olympic Distance Triathlon
- Ironman Texas
- Morton Plant Mease Sprint Triathlon
- Escape from Fort DeSoto
- Morton Plant Mease
- Nautica NYC Triathlon
- Ironman Augusta 70.3
In addition to our extended event schedule, we continue to be involved in community support activities. The club has collected school supplies for the Children’s Home, housing supplies for the Alpha House, and food for Metropolitan Ministries. We look forward to monthly opportunities to give back. We continue to volunteer at many sports events, including The Great Westchase; kids triathlons (www.racesaregreat.com); and adult Sprint, Olympic and Ironman events.
