I presume that if someone wrote a book about all of the crazy things men and women do when they reach milestones in their lives, it would be a best seller. For my big milestone – age 50 - I decided to participate in a triathlon.  Why this event, I really can’t answer, but it was something I thought would be fun and challenging, and now that I have participated in my first triathlon, I’m training for my second and third events.

A little lesson on triathlons: it is a multi-discipline sporting event comprised of swimming, biking and running. There are various distances for various races, but the principle is the same; a multi-sport event. For many people, exercise is drudgery. It’s a daily or weekly chore that many of us do on a regular basis because it’s good for us.  You see it in the gyms and outside, people sweating and complaining for the sole purpose of burning a few calories, or shaving off their love handles. No one ever looks like they are having fun, which is probably why so many people start and stop their exercise programs.

One of the keys to success in multi-sport training is striking the right balance. You become proficient in three different events, and in the process learn how to balance your time and effort for three separate sports.  Susie Dvoskin,   a founder and leader in women’s triathlons in Israel, will tell you that competing and training for a triathlon is so much more than just exercise. “What it does for women is it builds their confidence in themselves, builds endurance, promotes their self-image and most importantly empowers women to see themselves as capable of doing things they never thought they could do.”

Israel has its share of triathlons, and the most popular and successful one is the annual Women’s Triathlon. This event takes place every year in late May or early June in the Herzliya Marina. It is run by a nonprofit organization called the Association for Women’s Triathlon in Israel in memory of Tamar Dvoskin; operated by Danny and Susie Dvoskin in memory of their daughter Tamar who was hit by a car while training for the third Women’s Triathlon in 1996. "Every Woman a Winner" is the slogan for the annual Women’s Triathlon.  Susie lives her life by these words: "Tamar and I invented the slogan after we crossed the finish line in the first Women’s Triathlon.  We had just done something new and remarkable! We were bursting with pride, and it didn’t matter how much time it took or in what place we came.”

The year was 1994. Susie’s son Oren had just competed in his first triathlon in Tel Aviv, and it seemed like the whole family was anxious to try their hand at this event. Susie and Tamar decided they too would like to compete in this challenging sport and they signed up for the First Women’s Triathlon that took place in Acco . The main organizers were Amram Shepanov from Kibbutz Ein Hamifratz, who then was the head of the Israel Triathlon Association, and Shlomit Nir-Tur, director of the Advancement of Women in Sport, who had represented Israel as a swimmer in the 1972 Munich Olympics. At the time not many women knew about triathlons or were qualified or had ever competed in the event. In the end 53 participants showed up and competed. Tamar was 19 and Susie was 47. The rest is history.

This past June 1,100 women participated in the annual Women’s Triathlon. As the years have passed, the event has evolved and now offers a number of participation tracks: The Sprint – a recognized distance by the ITA (Israel Triathlon Association) a longer and more challenging distance; the Popular – a shorter segment catering to the first time triathlete , and the three-some – an opportunity for three friends to complete the triathlon with each one of them doing one segment in the competition. This past year there were also events for young girls and Etgarim (Challenge) teams – women with physical disabilites.

How did I get involved in the sport? I watched the event two years ago and told myself, “One day I am going to participate!”  In 2007, I was part of a 2-person relay team; I did the biking and running portions, and a friend did the swimming part. This year, I was determined to do all three events.  For my 50th birthday, my husband bought me my first road bike, and I started training three months before the event.  In the process, I met some of the most wonderful and inspirational women in Israel. Susie Dvoskin is one of those people.

Perseverance, survival, endurance – these are characteristics that only begin to describe Susie and her husband Danny. I first met Susie in an open water swim session in April at 6:45 a.m. in the morning. She was just recovering from her hip replacement operation and she was going in to swim. I was there as a novice, beginner triathlete trying to learn how to swim in the ocean and not sink. Together with 35 other women athletes we all got up early in the morning and braved the cold water and high waves. There was Susie, with everyone else, regardless of her disabilities; her husband Danny was close by to help her out of the water.

Susie has been competing in triathlons (including a half Ironman - 1.9km of swimming, 90km of cycling, and 21.1km of running in Belgium) for 15 years. She has a room full of trophies.            "When I started competing, there were very few women my age. I always came in the top three positions because we were only three women," she says humbly. Today there are thousands of women participating in triathlon programs in Israel, and a large majority take part in the Herzliya race.  In my age group there were over 70 women (50-55 years).

Next year's Women's Triathlon is already in the planning stages. Susie and her husband are anticipating 1500 athletes, including overseas entries.  "We are trying to market this experience to Jewish women everywhere who want to come to Israel for a visit, and also participate in this special event" says Mor Schlesinger, the event PR coordinator and an accomplished triathlete herself.  "Wouldn't it be fun if you came to Israel, and ran in a race, or swam in the ocean with other women?"

The Women's Triathlon is the only multi-sport women's exclusive event in Israel. It is designed to help each woman realize her potential.  Through their achievement in sports they realize that they are also able to accomplish goals they never dreamed possible. If you set your mind to it, there are no boundaries to what can be achieved.  Susie’s famous last words about challenges: “I may have come in last, but I’m very proud of myself, because I’m the first of all those that haven’t showed up, or didn’t participate”.  As I approach my next challenge I will remember Susie’s words, and hold them close to my heart - sometimes, the simplest advice is the best advice.