When first-time triathlete Erin Hensel ran across the finish line at the Nevis Northwoods Triathlon in August, her mind was still racing. Her gorgeous smile told an inspirational story of its own as she pushed through her final seconds on the Heartland Trail.

A 5k behind her, she was already looking ahead. “I’ll be better prepared next year,” she told Missy Lindow, a Center for Weight Management lifestyle counselor. It is music to Lindow’s ears when another surgical weight-loss patient gets bit by the triathlon bug.

The Center for Weight Management hosted four teams in the annual event in August, three of which were entirely made up of weight-loss patients (with the exception of one last-minute replacement). Staff members made up the fourth team.

Teams swam a quarter of a mile, biked 14 miles, and ran a 5k to earn their medals. All were winners including the Center for Weight Management fan club which formed long after the first-place individual finisher completed the triathlon in less than an hour. Watching them create a rowdy atmosphere of support and encouragement at the finish line inspires everyone in attendance.

For the surgical weight-loss competitors, there always appears to be a winning sense of accomplishment. Each has reached a level of achievement. They set goals. They participate. They set more goals. That process is what excites the Center’s Bariatric Coordinator, Leah Walters, and why many refer to this triathlon as “Leah’s Race.”

Triathlon team runners hear the rally cry from the Center for Weight Management fan base and peers as they finish the race. Their number one fan is Leah Walters (raising arms), Bariatric Coordinator. Team triathletes all have a story to tell.

Cathy Hensel rode bike as part of a team for the third year in a row. Her triumph? For the first time during the race she didn’t have to dismount to get up a hill.

Jeanne Kritzberger found excess energy in her stride as she finished out her 5K. “Completing my portion of the race was an adrenaline rush since I could see the finish in the distance,” Kritzberger says. Her race ended with a 200-meter sprint. Tears came to Lindow’s eyes as she witnessed Jeanne’s surge.

No one could miss Ron Carnell in his warm-ups, cowboy lid, and participation medal. “Giddy-AAAAP!” Walters hollers out. Carnell is the Center’s first male competitor to participate on a tri team. He took on the cycling portion of the race and wasn’t too tough to locate in his Center for Weight Management get-up at the race’s end.

“Well?” It’s the question practically everyone asks a competitor when they complete their portion of the triathlon.

“I’ll come back if you ask me real nice,” he teased Walters. In fact, Carnell is already recruiting other men to make up the Center’s first all-male team next year. With a 117-pound weight loss under his belt, cycling is Carnell’s main source of exercise. He says the feeling he gets from staff at the Center is like that of “family.”

Pam Gilhousen thinks it’s always fun to participate in a competition “no matter when you cross the finish line.” She found more inspiration to run her leg of the tri by watching the elite athletes emerge from the waters of Lake Belle Taine, climb the beach’s hill, and hop on their bikes.

“Participating in runs helps to keep me in check,” she says. “It’s a reminder that I have to adjust my busy life to make sure I get daily exercise. Seeing the St. Joseph’s staff was one of the best parts of the triathlon. They get you excited about keeping on track.”

Sue Zinniel far and away earned the nickname of “Phelps” following her quarter of a mile lap swim. She caught the eye of many as she made her way through the transition area. Tough, strong, beautiful are words that come to mind.

Barb Lund committed to giving the tri a try last year at the “Weekend in the Pines” and started a training regiment after the first of the year. “I felt so good after exercise,” Lund says. “It really is addicting. The best reason for being in the triathlon for me was the motivation to keep working out.

She enjoyed the”exhilaration” of the competition and appreciated the support from the Center’s team of professionals. “I wake up every morning thanking Dr. Dan Smith for giving me my life back,” she adds. Her next venture will be 5k challenges.