ABOUT US

Origin of The Foundation of Tri-athletes Incorporated

In the spring of 1984, a sporting event called “The Diamond Triathlon of the Stars” was held. As part of the grand celebratory opening of the Cable Beach Hotel (now known as Meliá Nassau Beach), any participant was invited to compete. This event consisted of swimming ½ mile, transitioning to bicycle 60 miles, and then running a ½ marathon (13.1 miles).

Three young Bahamian men took the challenge and entered the event as a team: Whitmore Fowler (Swimming), Jim LaRoda (Cycling), and Durward Bostwick (Running). Although Fowler had difficulty traversing through rough waters during the marathon's swimming section, the team was successful in completing the event. Sam Brown, an individual competitor in The Diamond Triathlon of the Stars, was the first Bahamian to cross the finish line.

1988

This sporting event had inspired the three men to organize as an association in January of 1988. Their goal was to develop interest of Bahamians in this rather unknown athletic event and therefore, the group named itself, “The Foundation of Tri-athletes”.

In March 1988, the Foundation held its first charity triathlon to help raise funds in defraying a colleague's medical expenses. Mr. Tim Boyle, an Englishman employed by the Ministry of Works, competed in this event, and his enthusiasm led him to organize the Conch-man Triathlon in Nassau in its early years.

Many companies during this time had hosted triathlons as a marketing tool to boost new sales and attract prospective customers, in which the Foundation had participated in many of these local events.

1990-1993

In April 1990, the Teachers & Salaried Co-operative Credit Union presented a plaque to The Foundation of Tri-athletes Incorporated for its outstanding service in organizing community fun run/walk events for three consecutive years from 1988 to 1990.

After gaining a gradual momentum of popularity in The Bahamas, The Foundation, however, faced one major setback—most Bahamians could not swim. Typically, swimming is the first leg of a triathlon race; therefore, Bahamians wishing to participate in a triathlon would find it difficult. Today, this general sentiment has changed since swimming is slowly increasing due to growing interest as the Bahamas Triathlon Association's continued development of triathlons.

In March 1991, the Foundation of Tri-athletes re-established itself as an exercise club, shifting its focus from competition to a training program aimed at motivating people of all ages to be physically active. In developing this program, Mr. Byron Payne served as the aerobics coach, Mr. Barron Musgrove as the cycling coach, and Mr. Raymond Farquharson as the swimming coach. The timing of this program was intriguing, since the Ministry of Health had published a comprehensive study on Bahamians’ health habits in 1993. This study reports that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men are severely overweight. Most of the preventive diseases in the Bahamas are triggered by the condition of obesity due to excessive eating, drinking, and inactivity.

2006-2007

On April 28th, 2006, the Memorandum of Association and the Articles of Association documents were witnessed at the law firm of McKinney, Bancroft & Hughes.

On March 5th, 2007, the Foundation of Tri-athletes was issued a Certificate of Incorporation from the Registrar General Department. The initial subscribers and first directors of the company upon its incorporation were: Durward Bostwick, Grace Bostwick, Lucille Bullen, Jim LaRoda, Vanessa McPhee, Karen Moxey, Charmaine Price, Nolan Scavella, Glorian Storr, Betty Tinker, and Katherine Weech.

2020-2022

In March of 2020, The World Health Organization had declared the Covid-19 virus as a pandemic and as a preventative measure, the Bahamian government ordered all Bahamians under a mandatory lockdown for several months. The exercise club, as well as every business institution and in-person events were cancelled. For two years, the club could not organize and exercise like it did for the past thirty-two years. But once the mandatory lockdowns were uplifted in 2022, the club strengthened its core base members to thirty while encouraging and welcoming others to join the program.

Meaning of The Foundation of Tri-athletes Incorporated

The Foundation:

When constructing a home, if the foundation is built erringly, the home itself could become weak and defects will appear.

The Foundation is our Creator God whom created people by His Spirit to breath and move. By His Spirit, He illuminates the mind, and the mind propels the body to move in action. To move, the intake of nutrients is needed, which are found in the tri-base food group of carbohydrates, proteins and fats that helps to balance the mind and body during daily activities of work and exercises.

Tri-athletes:

Triathlons are composed of three (3) sports that transition from one discipline to another. They usually consist of swimming, cycling, and brisk walking/jogging/running. The Foundation has modified the word “triathlon” to “Try-At-It-Long”, meaning that each challenging sport should instill endurance and perseverance. The club's triathlon promotes the participation in three (3) sporting activities one enjoys, either individually or as a team.

The human body were made to move and work, thus movement forms the foundation of the body. Science define work as a force (push or pull) that causes a change in motion of an object in the direction of the force. Power is a measure of the rate at which work is done. Running 7 miles or walking 7 miles requires the same amount of work. By using more power, the same distance is covered in less time than by walking.

Food is needed as energy to both move and work the body. The main food source for the body’s energy are carbohydrates—these are sugary and starchy foods. Too much sugar in the bloodstream, however, can cause a condition of diabetes that may lead to leg amputation and other illnesses.

The legs propel the movement of the body. (i.e. strong legs—strong heart).
The heart is the center of the body in which the blood flow is taking the food around the body.
The food we eat are measured in units as calories—the total amount of food taken into the body. So, what is a calorie? Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary defines calorie as “the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one (1) gram of water one-degree centregrade”.

When you exercise, the food is broken down into liquids and sweat functions as a cool down effect. If calories are not used up, they are stored under the body’s skin as fat reserve, be it carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. As a result:

The body mass begins to extend (weight gain).
Weight gain strains the heart's ability to pump blood through the arteries.
Fatty deposits in the narrow artery blood vessel can cause a blockage of blood flow. This may develop into a heart attack or stroke.

Rest: When work has been exhausted, rest is necessary to restore the body for work again.

Walking is one of the most basic human abilities. Anyone can do it, all you need is the will. It's not expensive, and doesn't require special equipment. Hence, our exercise club’s slogan, “The Will To Aspire”, tells the story with each deep breath of its aerobic exercise routine, inhaling a fresh supply of oxygen, while exhaling the toxins contain in carbon dioxide.

Incorporated:

We are our brother’s keeper, and on this premise, The Foundation have established its exercise program to share the principals of good health with emphasis on proper diet and exercise. Additionally, the program is dedicated to help others in charitable ways.

Recreation

persons who desire to get and stay fit while encouraging family participation.

Therapy

persons for health reasons who want to become and stay active. Brisk walking is ideal for most people. Other sporting activities are also encouraged.

Training

To be fit, training is necessary on a regular basis, 3 to 5 days of the week, for beginners aspiring to become athletes, as well as others.

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