Exploring the USA Through Triathlon

by Terry VanderWert on March 18, 2018 0 Comments

Triathlon Across the USA

After completing my first triathlon in 2011, my wife, Joy, and I looked at each other and said ‘Why not?”.

After the first triathlon, I was hooked. At that moment, we decided to combine our love for road trips with my interest in triathlon. We call this “Triathlon Across the USA”.

In this quest, our goal is to visit and for me to complete a triathlon in all 50 states. It has been more rewarding than we imagined.

This adventure has already taken us to many out-of-the-way parts of the United States. These are places we would probably never have visited. For example, many people who live in Oregon don’t know about Sweet Home. We have eaten, slept, and raced there.

It has also provided an opportunity to visit family and friends, several who have since passed away.

Through these travels, we have met people across the triathlon community with a connection to family members. We have met people hundreds of, even more than a thousand, miles from home who have friends or family near our Minnesota home.

In one case, the race director of a triathlon in a southern state had run near our house while visiting in-laws in Minnesota. We also met a young lady in Alaska who was on her Minnesota high school swim team with our daughter-in-law.

Diverse Experiences With More To Come

These travels have provided a diversity of triathlon experiences – differing terrain, race courses, weather, race types, and scenery. There have been plenty of opportunities to deal with the unexpected.

I have learned something new in each race. These are included in the ‘Race Firsts’ in each post. I have also learned more of the geography of the United States.

This journey is still in progress. We have not yet completed triathlons in all states.

The map below shows the states for which I have completed triathlons. The stories on this site include those from each of these states.

Lord willing, we will continue this journey to the end. Please join us.

Terry & Joy VanderWert

Maple Grove, Minnesota

“I press on to reach the end of the race.” Philippians 3:14