LAVALETTE — Danielle Wiblen-Snyder doesn’t see any reason why she shouldn’t compete in a triathlon.

 

Her father died of cancer, she said, and at his weakest, she remembers how determined he was to get up a flight of steps at church, saying that if Jesus could die for him, he could walk up steps.

 

“I feel like, if Jesus could die for me and my dad could walk up a flight of steps, I can ride a bicycle,” she said. And the 35-year-old from Huntington finished second in her age group in the St. Mary's Medical Center Tri-State Triathlon, which took place Sunday at Beech Fork State Park.

 

About 230 people turned out on the mild, cloudy morning for the race, which offered different ways for athletes of all experience levels to participate — a triathlon, a triathlon relay and a duathlon.

 

The overall winner for the triathlon was Robert Smith, and the winning female was Staci Joy.

 

This was the eighth year for the event. Organized by HealthyHuntington.org and sponsored by St. Mary’s, the event went off without a hitch this year with great weather and great volunteers, and drew some experienced athletes as well as some brand new participants, said organizer Dr. Tom Dannals.

 

They came out for a variety of reasons.

 

Wiblen-Snyder sees a lot of preventable diseases in her work as a nurse, and said training for the event is a great way to both take care of your health and relieve stress.

 

When she’s training, “It’s my time,” she said. “I’m a better wife and a better mommy after I’ve had my time.”

 

Ron Hackworth, 66, has been racing since 1986, he said, though Sunday was his first shot at the triathlon at Beech Fork. He credited Jeff Joy of Jeff’s Bike Shop in Huntington for motivating not only him but a lot of people in the community.

 

Hackworth did the duathlon — running, biking and running some more — and said the race is like a fun social event. And the training “is just good for you,” he said.

 

“It’s better than being on the couch,” Hackworth said. “If everyone did it, we’d all look a lot different as we got older.”

 

Pediatrician Dr. Matt Downs, who is from Huntington but now lives in Elkins, W.Va., enjoys racing as a way to stay healthy, and said the Beech Fork race is one his favorites.

 

“It has a great lake, and the kids have a place to play,” he said.  He likes that all the transitions — from water to bike and bike to running — happen in about the same area, so his family can just hang out in the same spot and cheer as he goes by.

 

Lori Bennett is another regular in the race.

 

“I love it,” she said. “It’s fun, it’s beautiful, it’s friendly. Everyone has a good time and it’s good for the community. I just enjoy it.”

 

As the winner for the women in the race, Staci Joy — wife of bike shop owner Jeff Joy — said she likes the sense of camaraderie brought out by the event. You see a lot of familiar faces from the bike shop on the course, she said. And everyone cheers for everyone.

 

“I have never heard anyone say anything negative, ever,” Staci Joy said. “It’s always, ‘Good job!’ and ‘Keep going!’ That’s what Healthy Huntington is all about.”
 

 

National Video