“C?mon dad!”
“Go daddy go!”
“Keep pushin?, dad!”
The fourth annual Father?s Day, “TRI-TO-WIN” triathlon at the South Carroll Swim Club in Sykesville Sunday, was a real race ? Joe Liberto, 32, won in 1:05.09. More importantly, it was a chance for moms and children to cheer for dad on their big day.
So it was fitting that Liberto, a father of three from New Windsor, crossed the finish line first, one of many fathers, on a hot and humid morning. Two of his little ones, Nathan, 5, and Owen, 3, are already following in his footsteps and learning how to swim.
Todd Bingaman, 43, of Mount Airy, took second in the event, coming in at 1:06.13, and his two daughters, Samantha, 11, and Summer, 8, carried and waved signs as they rooted for their father.
“They?ve actually both done triathlons with me,” Bingaman said. “We?ve done Rocky Gap in Cumberland and Health Unlimited has one in Mount Airy. The children races are short, a 100- or 200-yard swim, 3-mile bike and a three-quarter to 1 mile run. They like it; it?s a lot of fun.”
The moms, Jennifer Liberto and Jeanette Bingaman, were, of course, on hand, too ? no parent can train for these things without a lot of help.
“It?s gets a little chaotic at times,” Jennifer Liberto said. “But he loves it, so we find a way to manage.”
Michelle Duplinsky, 21, of Kensington, was the top finisher for the women ? not all of the 275 participants were dads ? and she completed the hilly course in 1:17.15. She and her father Bo were also received the trophy for the top father-daughter pair.
Liberto and Bingaman are accomplished triathletes, each raced in the challenging Eagleman Triathlon in Cambridge, Md., last weekend. For many, however, the family-friendly, pool swim and sprint-length distance event was the perfect opportunity to dip a toe into triathlon waters.
Proceeds from the race went to the Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation, which coordinated the race to raise awareness of the potentially deadly skin cancer.
“My mom had a long battle with melanoma before she passed in March of 2003,” Denise Safko said. “People don?t realize how dangerous it is. They think you can just cut it out and that?s it. But it can metastasize and spread to other organs. So, we want to increase awareness, let people know they need to wear sunscreen, even on the cool days.”
More information can be found at www.melanomaresource.org; complete race results can be found at www.charmcityrun.org.
