Why Tri?

From swimming to biking to running, the triathlon is one of the hardest things in sports. The ability to do three grueling events in one go takes so much power and skill to finish. While most people are used to finishing a swim meet, Wright is used to getting out of the pool, and having to immediately start running.
At least he dries off quickly.
Jared Wright is a seasoned triathlon athlete, and he has also participated in many other sports. From Highland sports teams to his own activities, Wright has done everything.
Wright has been in the swimming business since he was 10 years old. He has gone from smaller programs to the junior varsity swim team at Highland. Swimming has been a major part of his life, and it has brought him joy and taught him life lessons.
To Wright, swimming is a challenge. And that is one reason why he loves it so much. If there wasn’t a challenge, the sport wouldn’t have any appeal to him.
“Swimming isn’t going to be fun if you don’t try, and that also applies to other sports too,” Wright said.
A sport that was too easy wouldn’t give Wright any pleasure. What’s the point of doing something that you don’t like without there being any benefits? Getting better and stronger wouldn’t happen without trying.
Being on the JV swim team last year as a freshman, Highland showed Wright a lot of things that swimming hadn’t done for him before. The teamwork Wright experienced while swimming for the school was amazing. This was one of the greatest things about it for him. Without the members of the team working together, they can’t get anywhere.
The friendships that Wright formed through this team was also a major part. There were many kids that he did not know, and made bonds with many of them through the trials and triumphs of swimming. Being able to make friends is a good skill, and was something that Wright was glad he was able to do.
“Learning to cope with other people you have not met before…,” Wright said.
This was another skill that he was opened up to, and had to use a lot. There were many athletes from Highland that were older than Wright, and he had to figure out the best way to work with them and still do well.
Wright went through all these great experiences last year, and believes that this year will only be a better version of that. He also thinks that the meet in Cedar City has showcased both Highlands skill, and also their great attributes as a team.
While being a good swimmer, Wright also excels in many other sports. Including track, cross country, and he also participates in many triathlons. Triathlons are where you race in three categories, biking, swimming, and running.
To Wright, triathlons brings a lot of unique things that other sports can’t offer. While each race has the three different phases, the way they are raced changes each time.
“Racing on different courses that either we swim in a lake or pond, bike on dirt or road, or run on dirt or road is a challenge,” Wright said.
Triathlons have really influenced Wright’s life, but also his family’s. Wright’s brother Isaac and his dad Chris both do triathlons as well. As a father, Chris is very happy that both his sons are hardworking and getting out there and being active.
“I’m proud to see my boys take interest in these sports because it will help them be healthy, but more importantly, setting goals and working towards those goals can be applied to be a more successful person in all aspects of life,” Chris said.
Chris is glad that his sons have these attributes, because they help them in so many ways. Wright is as good of an athlete as he is a student in school. He works hard to get good grades while also keeping up his sports activities. This is something that makes his dad very pleased with him.
Wright’s hard work paid off as he did well in his meets, and kept his grades very high.
Wright is a member of the cross country team at Highland as well as the track team, once again fueling the skills he needs as a triathlete.
This was something that may not have happened if it had not been for the movie McFarland, USA. To sum it up, a football coach is fired and moves to another high school in Mexico. At this high school in the town of McFarland, the man decides to teach a class and also coach the cross country team. The students are not very happy about it at first, but they end up enduring to the end and winning the State Championship.
This movie was a big influence on Wright’s decision to run cross country. It really inspired him. He wanted to get better at running for his triathlons, and thought that this would be the way to do that. He now loves the running aspect, and had an amazing time on the Highland team.
The movie also had the same effect on him for joining track. With an injury late into the swimming season, Wright wasn’t able to do any sports for a while. It wasn’t until a friend convinced him that he should try to join track that he did. Luckily, he had a good relationship with the coaches, and they let him in.
This period of track got Wright into the position to do well in the cross country season that ended just a few months ago.
The ability to play three sports, and participate in the grueling triathlon is something that not many can say they are able to do. It is not something that comes easy. Wright has worked so hard to get where he is now, and he isn’t stopping anytime soon.