MSN_081618

malibusurfsidenews.com SPORTS
Malibu surfside news | August 16, 2018 | 35
hospital is full of doctors
and medical professionals
who can do amazing
things.”
Becerra and others will
practice weekly until the
event arrives, and will continue
to raise funds with the
hope that children suffering
from cancers and also babies
like little Rex, whose
name aptly means king,
will one day reign above
childhood illnesses that the
hospital dedicates itself to
overcoming.
As the swimmers divided
into groups based on experience,
lifeguards and clinic
coaches were at the ready
to ensure that all participants
were safe.
Dan O’Rourke, a member
of the Paramount Studios
team, shared what motivated
him to rouse himself
in the early morning hours
for a 7:30 a.m. swim clinic.
“My parents were in a
massive head-on collision
and fortunately, my mom
healed,” O’Rourke said.
“One day, I was commiserating
that I wasn’t in shape
and my mom said, ‘Well, if
I could heal from the accident
and get in shape, why
can’t you?’
“This event has gotten
me in shape, even demystifying
ocean swimming,
all the while benefiting
the Children’s Hospital research
to conquer cancers.”
Swimming in the Pacific
on Zuma Beach is neither
for the faint-hearted nor the
ill-informed.
Beginners gathered
around triathlon trainer Katie
Godec.
“Swim as straight out as
you can and get a quick feel
for the water temperature,”
Godec advised. “You will
learn to time the waves as
you go out. Duck dive and
you can reach for the sand
and even hold on to it. Keep
ducking and you’ll surface
with the wave behind you.”
For the uninitiated, duck
Swim clinic coach Konrad Ribeiro (middle) poses with expert swimmers Brett Stewart
(left) and Dan O’Rourke.
diving is a method a surfer
uses to go under a wave to
ensure they are not washed
back toward the shore by
the wave, but instead go
under it and make progress
in making their way out to
sea.
After successfully duck
diving, Godec promised,
there comes a moment of
tranquility in the ocean and
a little peace when one can
catch their breath.
“Lay on your back for
a moment and enjoy,” she
said. “You’re super buoyant
in your wetsuit — it’s
like you’re in the Dead Sea.
Hang out and relax.”
While Godec and others
helped the newbies get
their sea legs, other more
experienced swimmers
ventured way out to buoys
positioned in the distance,
swam like pros and went
back in for more.
Konrad Ribiero, an advanced
clinic coach, noted
the importance of participants
coming as often as
possible to the training
clinics in order to fully prepare
for the triathlon.
“Zuma Beach can
change from week to week
and, as locals know, one
day it can be like a lake,
while other days it can
have a lot of waves,” he
said. “For instance, the recent
large south wells have
really chopped Zuma up
and, further, the wind and
tide can change dramatically
even throughout one
day, as can the temperatures.
Therefore, it is best
to get as much experience
as possible to prepare for
the various ocean conditions
you might face on
race day.”
All participants emerged
invigorated, resolved to improve
their own personal
times in preparation for the
triathlon and to raise even
more money to support pediatric
cancer research.
Key sponsors of the Malibu
Triathlon include Bank
of America and Merrill
Lynch.
“Bank of America has
given $5 million in grants
to the hospital over the last
20 years and we’ve raised
more than $1 million for
the Children’s Hospital research,”
said Nathan Crave,
of Malibu, a Bank of America
representative and happy
clinic participant. “We
strongly encourage our
employees to give back to
the community and be involved
in such community
efforts.”
Thirty-two years on,
Michael Epstein, founder
of the Malibu Triathlon, is
delighted at the event’s resiliency
and success.
“I am super proud that
the triathlon has been going
strong for so long,” he said.
“I am amazed and excited at
the energy the event still has.
The money raised will further
pediatric cancer research
so that we can create the
next benchmark treatments
to cure cancers and, importantly,
we are on the cusp of
a whole new era in customized
cancer medicines that
target specific cancer cells in
individual children.”
The Olympic distance
race will be on Sept. 15 and
will include a 1.5K swim, a
The expert group swims out into the deeper water as
lifeguards look on.
Participant Maria Arias listens to race coordinator
Michael Epstein.
40K bike race, and a 10K
out-and-back run course
along Zuma Beach, while
the classic distance race,
scheduled for Sept. 16,
will feature a one-half mile
ocean swim, 17-mile bike
race and a four-mile run.
Five to six new teams
have signed on this year,
including Amazon, ICM,
Harbor Freight, Netflix,
Amgen and Saban Films,
to name a few, according
to Epstein. To date, there
are approximately 4,000
entrants and there is still
room for more participants
to enroll. Donations are
gratefully accepted as well.
For more information
on the 32nd annual Nautica
Malibu Triathlon, visit
www.nauticamalibutri.com
or email info@nauticamali
butri.com.