The Bucyrus Area YMCA

Our committee has received many kind letters and emails since we held the Triathlon on May 26. We’d like to share some of them with you—we don’t think the senders will mind. We welcome any additional feedback you can give us.

Also, we didn’t do so well getting pictures of the participants this year. If anyone has race-day photos to share with us, they can be emailed to whetvet@cybrtown.com , or can be mailed to the Y at 1655 E. Southern Avenue, Bucyrus, OH 44820.

On to the letters, phone calls, and emails:

A few days after the race, Stow, Ohio resident Matthew Broda spoke with committee member Liz Dolan by phone; he related to her that “it was the first triathlon for my wife and me and it was a wonderful experience—we’ll definitely be back next year!”

Thanks, Matthew—we’ll set aside two spots right now! J. H.

Participant Bill Ulmer emailed us these kind words: “Thanks for the quick results. We enjoyed ourselves in spite of the weather. We felt very much at home and hope to return next year. Please try to keep it a fun event. I have a feeling that as word gets out that you may have a tough time keeping small. Keep up the good work. By the way, I love your new addition on the building, it looks like you have an active board and capable staff.”

We’re also thankful for all of our willing volunteers. As far as the size of the event goes, we don’t think it’s likely to get too big, because we are somewhat limited by our pool space. That being said, everyone should be sure to get entries in early next year so they don’t get shut out! J.H.

It sounds like we’ll be seeing Doug Rothhaar of Mansfield, Ohio next year: “This was my first triathlon and I had a blast in spite of the cold and wind. I really enjoyed myself. I tried to thank each volunteer as I rounded all the corners but please pass another 'thanks' to all of them from me in case I missed anyone. I have already blocked off next year’s Memorial Day weekend to be in Bucyrus again for the annual BAY-Tri!”

We have some great t-shirts here at the Bucyrus Y that say “Volunteers Make It Happen”—ain’t it the truth! Thanks again, volunteers! See you next year, Doug. J.H.

A nice communication from the Strawman/Lee contingent: “We'd like to thank you and all the other volunteers for putting on a wonderful triathlon. Robert Strawman thoroughly enjoyed the event----his first triathlon ever, and we (his daughter and son-in-law) thoroughly enjoyed watching him and the other competitors as they gave their all in the spirit of fun and friendly competition. Your efforts at the race and after as well, were all greatly appreciated. Thank you for the email, the article, and the results!”

“During the awards ceremony, everyone was welcomed to email any suggestions they might have to make the event even better in the years to come. We have a couple of suggestions that we hope you'll consider---but please receive them as merely that, suggestions from some very satisfied people that plan on making your event an annual tradition :)”

1) “Consider adding additional age breaks so that older competitors can compete more fairly with others similar in age.”

2) “Consider adding a request for age on the entry form so that age and city can be reported in the results. We compete regularly in athletic events, and often the ages and cities of all the participants are included in the results. It's really neat to compare the age of your competition and see the cities they traveled from in order to compete.”

“Again, please accept these suggestions in the best spirit. We really enjoyed your event and can't wait until next year. Thanks!”

Robert Strawman, Sarah (Strawman) Lee, John Lee

Thanks for the kind words. We did actually break down the age categories a little more this year, and will probably do so even further now that we’ve seen that we can actually get a larger competitive field than before. We’ve tried to show ages by category, but we’ll certainly attempt to add city of origin to the results in the future. Great input—this is what we need to keep improving. J.H.

Speaking of the age categories, we (the triathlon committee) even got a little confused this year. Larry Griffin of Akron wrote, “Thanks for the results. I enjoyed the race. FYI: I was announced as winner of 50 & older. And now I see I won 2nd in 45 & older. Either way I did not get one of your nice awards. However you decide to resolve this will be fine with me. “

See, this is what happens when the guy in charge of results (Gerry Dolan) is also a participant—possibly suffering just a tiny bit of oxygen debt while figuring the awards out. We’ll be sure to get an award to Larry. J.H.

One of our favorite letters came from Denis Carter of Stow, Ohio: “Recently, I had the pleasure and the privilege of entering the Bucyrus YMCA Triathlon. I came to Bucyrus not knowing quite what to expect from this race. From the moment I arrived at the YMCA I realized that I was in the midst of something special. The staff and volunteers for the event had an enthusiasm and friendliness that seemed to infect everyone. Although I was from a distant city, I felt as if I were among friends.”

“The race itself was extremely well organized with helpful volunteers at each turn, who were quick with a smile and words of encouragement, despite a chilling rain. State troopers held the traffic at bay at each corner instilling a sense of safety as I entered each turn. After the race, it was heartwarming to see the staff ask everyone to go outside to cheer on the last place contestant. It was personal attention like this that seemed to be the norm for every person associated with this event.

“If ever you have contemplated entering a triathlon, put Bucyrus YMCA Triathlon at the top of your list. If you are a veteran, come tune up at this race and see what a great job a small group of dedicated and talented volunteers can do. I firmly believe it is one of the finest races in the state.”

“To the many volunteers and staff members, thanks for a job superbly done.”

This one made us all feel awfully good. We try to put on a nice, friendly, organized event, even though we realize that it’s strictly small-time. Letters like this make it all worthwhile. Thanks, Denis, and thanks to everyone else who participated. We enjoyed the race as much as you did. J.H.

It turns out that we’re not the only ones putting the race up on the web. If you want to relive the event in words and pictures, check out this site: http://www.angelfire.com/sports/sak/bucyrus_ymca.htm .

You know, I just spent a good part of the last few days updating the web page with the Triathlon info, and I figured that I was pretty much done, but then I made the mistake of doing a search for “Bucyrus Triathlon” on the web, just for grins. And what I found was a heck of a web page for the Seneca Aquatic Klub. They brought several competitors down—mainly younger racers—and have put up a nice summary and lots of good pictures on their site. I’d like to thank coach Dave Martien, who put that page together: we got to talking triathlons several months ago at a swim meet, and he indicated that he might bring a few kids down. He certainly did follow through. J.H.