TUCSON, Arizona — Triathlon competitors Chas Hodgdon and Kailey Sumner were living in Boston when a friend had a recommendation.
"I heard you guys were looking to move," Sumner recalled the friend saying. "You should move to Tucson because it's literally the perfect location."
The couple then packed up their bikes and headed west.
"It's like a triathlon mecca," said Sumner.
Hodgdon and Sumner are known as age groupers, which means they are competitive, but not professional, triathletes. And, even though they have each other, swimming, biking, and running on the same day is quite a challenge.
"Training alone is really difficult," said Sumner. "You get really elevated once you train with other people."
And, with the other triathletes in Tucson, there was no reason to stay in their lane.
"We thought that since we have expertise being part of clubs, and since we've been board members of clubs, why not bring a community here?" said Sumner.
"We have all these athletes and no clubs, said Hodgdon. "Why not put it together?"
The two are now starting a triathlon club called Project Multisport Tucson, and it aims to bring traithletes of all different ages and competition together.
"We have had an overwhelming support for it," said Hodgdon.
Hodgdon says hundreds of current, and even aspiring triathletes, are interested.
"It's such a niche sport that the community is so uplifting," said Hodgdon. "Everyone wants to see everyone else do better."
There are upcoming information sessions, on July 13th and July 16th, at Aquabear Swim Club. They are for anyone, whether you are a longtime Tucsonan, or just moved here from Boston.
"It's here for everybody," said Sumner. "That's what we're all about."
You can contact projectmultisporttucson@gmail.com for more information.
