After 5: Triple Threat

Trevor Croley makes his living as an insurance agent at Croley Insurance and Financial Inc., but it's his passion for triathlon competitions that makes him come alive.

And expect a new spring in his step when he returns this month from Gold Coast, Australia, where he collected a 10th-place finish at the International Triathlon Union World Championship.

It's a far different world than his Springfield insurance office, where during the business day, Croley writes quotes and consults with clients. But when the clock strikes 5 o'clock - in the morning, that is - it's training time.

"I train six days out of the week and all of my training takes place between 4 and 7:30 in the morning," says the 37-year-old Croley. "You have to balance family and work with all of this, so if I do it early in the morning, usually everyone's asleep."

A triathlon is a race run in three parts. While a standard triathlon is generally comprised of a swim, bicycle ride and a run, there are several variations of the race. According to USA Triathlon, the sport's national governing body, there are three standard distances for a triathlon race: long, Olympic (intermediate) and sprint.

In Australia, Croley joined approximately 250 team members Sept. 9-13 and represented the U.S. in two events: the sprint distance triathlon and the aquathlon, in which he placed 10th in his age bracket.

Croley qualified for this competition, his third on the world championship level, by finishing eighth out of 112 male competitors, ages 35 to 39, in the Pacific Coast Triathlon on July 26 in Newport Beach, Calif. Croley, who has competed in world championship triathlons in Hawaii and Mexico, is ranked in the top 25 percent of more than 4,000 male competitors, ages 35 to 39, by USA Triathlon, the sport's national governing body.

In addition to the accolades, Croley says triathlons have a profound impact on his life.

"I love the competition aspect of it, but it's also something that causes you to be self-motivated, ... which spills over to other aspects of my life," Croley says. "I definitely see it reflected in my work when I'm training harder. My work habits improve greatly when I have that kind of structure."

While Croley has been participating in triathlons for nearly 20 years, the sport's popularity has increased dramatically over the last decade. According to www.usatriathlon.org, the organization has 115,000 annual members, up from 19,060 members in 1999.

On the local level, there is growing interest in multisport activities.

The Starting Block opened at 1254 E. Republic Road in July 2008 to cater to swimming, bicycling and running enthusiasts, says manager Eric Johnson. About 40 percent of the store's sales are by multisport athletes, he estimates.

Nearly 350 athletes participated in the third-annual Tiger Tri, held Aug. 15 in Republic. The event posted a 47 percent increase in participants compared to 2007 but was about even with 2008 totals. Jared Keeling, Republic's director of parks and recreation, chalks up the flat numbers to the economy.

Equipment salesman Johnson notes that triathlon can be an expensive sport. "It is a sport primarily composed of people who have a lot of discretionary income," he says.

USA Triathlon estimates the average income of a triathlete is $126,000. But, Johnson says, it doesn't take much to get started. "You just need to have any kind of bike, a helmet and a swimsuit," adds Johnson, who, with Jeff DelVecchio, founded Ozarks Multisport Club in 2003. The group meets on the fourth Wednesday of every month and offers educational talks, training clinics and a weekly e-mail from the club president. The next meeting is scheduled Sept. 23 at 7 p.m. at the Springfield Library Center.

Other area multisport events that have taken place this year include the Y-not Tri indoor triathlon at Springfield YMCA's Ward Branch, the Black Locust Off-Road Duathlon held on the Little Sac Trails north of Springfield, and the Springfield-Greene County Park Board's annual Kid'Athlon.

Following in their father's footsteps, Croley's children - 10-year-old Claire and 8-year-old Cooper - have begun competing in local kidathlons.

Croley says people shouldn't be intimidated by multisports. Instead, he says, they should make it a personal goal of accomplishment.

"It's not about how well you did; its about saying that you did it," he says.[[In-content Ad]]