The Fayette Citizen-Sports Page
Friday, August 27, 1999
Local girl has iron will

By MICHAEL BOYLAN
Sports Editor

Kids are pretty much indestructible. They seem to believe it and when we watch them push themselves to the limit, only to push themselves even further, we start to believe it too.

Making the most recent convincing case is Peachtree City's Kirsten Pretzer, a 9-year-old ironwoman in training.

Pretzer, a fourth grader at Braelinn Elementary School, has been named the junior girls champion of the Southeast Regional Federation of USA Triathlon and has qualified to run in the Ironkids Bread Triathlon National Championship race in San Antonio, Texas.

She got interested in the sport by watching her brother, Kristopher, a seventh grader at Rising Starr Middle School. Kristopher has been performing in triathlons since the age of 7. He has placed fifth in the IronKids Bread Triathlon National Championship race twice. Her father also is a triathlete. Currently, she is training with her father, Gary, who just completed a full Ironman at Ironman USA Lake Placid in 12 hours, 11 minutes, and 55 seconds.

In 1999, Kirsten has recorded four first place victories and one second place finish. She won the Powerkids Duathlon, the Peachtree City Youth Triathlon, the Ironkids Bread Triathlon, and the Ironkids Splash/Dash. Her second place finish came in the Auburn Sprint Triathalon.

The lengths of the junior triathlons are shorter than the typical distance of a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride, and a run of 26.2 miles. Perhaps the most grueling for Pretzer was the Auburn Sprint Triathlon, which involved a 200-meter swim, a 13-K bike ride, and a three-K run.

Pretzer has been running for a year and a half and she loves the three-sport discipline. At the various races that she and her family attend, Pretzer has met a number of world champions.

Her favorite racer is Heather Fuhr, Ironman world champion, whom she has personally met several times. Fuhr continually gives support and encouragement to Pretzer.

With all of the support from her family and from other Ironman athletes, pretzer is well on her way to becoming a super athlete. The Ironman event requires discipline as well as talent. To add to her training for upcoming events, Pretzer will be running cross country this fall.

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