UCLA Launches First Scholarship for Triathlon in the US

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UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) is proud to announce the launch of the first ever scholarship program for Triathlon in the USA. This program provides support, resources and expertise to talented Triathletes who wish to develop their athletic ability to its maximum while completing a first class education.

Current UCLA students Brittany Day and Brady OBryan are the recipients of the two scholarships available for the 2009 season. For both it will be just their second season as Triathletes. Brittany was a member of the UCLA swim team before switching to Triathlon with immediate success winning her age group at several SoCal Triathlons in 2008. Brady is a teen Triathlon sensation from Texas whose goal is to become the youngest ever winner of the Hawaii Ironman World Championships.

The athletes will be targeting success in the WCCTC (West Coast Collegiate Triathlon Conference) and US national championships. Furthermore they will be attending many of the local SoCal events including the Los Angeles Triathlon, Malibu Triathlon and new Playa Del Rey Triathlon, which is a benefit race for the UCLA and USC teams.

The scholarship provides each athlete with a personal coaching program from team head coach, Gareth Thomas which includes regular lactate testing and video analysis. Furthermore, they will be supported with regular physical therapy treatment from Pro Physical Therapy, receive pro bike fits from Nate Loyal and a full package of equipment including nutrition products from PowerBar, Xterra wetsuits, eyewear and helmets from Rudy Project and Powertap powermeters. They will also receive a generous race expense budget.

Coach Gareth explains, This program has been 5 years in the making. Over that time we have grown the team from just a handful of members to a group of 60+ athletes who regularly train together. Each week we have between 6 to 9 hours of coached workouts and each athlete does even more training on their own. We now have a performance development program and the administrative support to rival any program out there and the aim is to attract the funding to allow us to offer a further 6 more scholarships with even deeper support for 2010.

Team President David Quiros adds, The launch of the program firmly establishes UCLA as the number 1 school to attend for the aspiring Triathlete. Furthermore, our future plans include building a Triathlon specific training center here on campus and continuing to acquire a vast range of equipment so that everyone who joins our team can train and race like a professional.

UCLA Triathlon is an official UCLA Recreation club sport. In addition to a structured coached program for students, UCLA Triathlon also provides coaching and a team atmosphere for staff, faculty, alumni, and community members. UCLA Triathlon is committed to helping all members, from elite to beginner, reach their athletic goals.

The team website can be found at www.triathlon.ucla.edu.

For sponsorship inquiries please contact Performance Director & Head Coach, Gareth Thomas by email at gareth@coachgareth.com.

If you are student Triathlete and wish to be considered for a 2010 scholarship please contact team membership director Michelle Kelly by email at triteam@ucla.edu.

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