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On Sept. 23, 56-yearold Taylor native Stephanie Escobar began compet ing in the World’s Triathlon Championship Finals in Pontevedra, Spain.
The Central Texas star will participate in two events with her time on the worlds stage. The first sprint Sept. 24 includes a 750-meter swim, 20K bike and 5K run, followed a race Sept. 26 consisting of a 1,500-meter swim, 40K bike and a 10K run.
Escobar will represent Taylor alongside 5,400 athletes from 100 countries, with ages ranging from 16 to 89. There are 18 American women in the 55-59 age bracket.
Escobar began her triathlon journey in her 20s, but said she halted training and competing seriously until five years ago. She gained recent traction in the community after placing in the top 20 of standard distance runners in August at nationals in Wisconsin.
Prior to her success there, she raced in Cap-Tex over Memorial Day weekend and made an appearance in the sprint race at the Marble Falls Triathlon in July.
“The amount of blood, sweat and tears Stephanie has put in makes us so incredibly proud to cheer her on from our town,” said The Quack Pack run club member Ann Fengfish. “She is the epitome of grit, strength and determination.”
Sharon Boon, Escobar’s coach, explains the road to worlds was extensive and began well over a year ago.
“She’s an endurance athlete, so training began with technique work, then strength work, and finally, speed,” Boon said. “It was a long-term plan to get her here.”
Over the course of the year, Escobar completed 1,275 miles of running, 4,593 biking, 154 swimming and 82 hours of strength training. She trains daily, alternating between the four categories.
“I’m doing something good for my health, and I enjoy it,” Escobar said. “I enjoy having a goal.”
