Throughout the month of February, the University of Maine New Balance Student Recreation Center will be hosting an indoor triathlon for students and staff to take part in. The triathlon includes a 2-mile run, a 500-meter swim and a 6-mile bike ride. Students can check their place in the standings online as new competitors’ times will be logged each week. The first 20 participants to complete the event will be rewarded with a special T-shirt commemorating their accomplishment. With the triathlon celebrating Black History Month, the month of February provides enough time to maximize the number of participants while adhering to social distancing guidelines.
Although you are not required to donate any money, a $10 donation is very much appreciated. All donations will be put toward the Recreation and Sports Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship. The goal of the event is to encourage students to become active in two ways — through competitive exercise among other university members, and by supporting students who are in Campus Recreation and Maine Bound programming.
“I wanted to organize an event to celebrate Black History Month. Although Black history should be celebrated year-round, the Indoor Sprint Triathlon for Social Change is a starting point in my personal and professional quest to offer more diversified programming,” Fitness and Aquatics Coordinator Adrianna Del Amo said. “The Recreation and Sports Diversity and Inclusion Scholarship is a new initiative that I am really excited about. We know that price can be a barrier to participation and I hope with this scholarship there is one less barrier, while fully acknowledging that more work needs to be done in the quest to make our programming as inclusive as possible and that just one scholarship is not the end all be all solution.”
Del Amo is committed to helping those in need by supporting this new scholarship to raise awareness for social change during Black History Month. 2020 shed a new light on many social justice issues, and social change is a theme that will stick with most people for the future that lies ahead. This new initiative aims to attract more students to UMaine and will help create a more diverse culture within the campus. For students who love to compete and stay fit, this event would be a perfect opportunity to participate in an event that benefits the UMaine community. If you would like to support the event’s diversity cause, contact Adrianna Del Amo at adrianna.delamo@maine.edu for more information, or visit the New Balance Recreation Center’s website.
