Gearing Up Program
A triathlon can be a life-changing experience for its participants. Unlike team sports, which usually end at the high school level, children can pursue triathlon or swimming/biking/running into adulthood and beyond. They may not wind up a scholarship athlete, but most can run a 5k, or sign up for their local masters program. The skills acquired from triathlon are also practical, as a skilled swimmer is typically a safer swimmer, and teaching your child to use a road bike provides them with a sneak preview of the rules of the road for when they learn to drive. Finally, though it starts as an individual activity, those who excel in the sport typically find themselves joining a team and/or forming friendships with fellow athletes in the sport. It is truly a sport where “the more the merrier” applies, and kids often find themselves in positive peer groups for years by getting involved in triathlon. Thus, the health and viability of triathlon as a sport depends on its ability to attract new participants.
Unfortunately, financial barriers can hinder access to triathlon for many families, who are understandably reluctant to spend large amounts of money, in advance, on a sport their child may not pursue long-term. And those kids whose parents stretch to fund their participation often feel the burden imposed by the financial realities of the sport. Finances also dictate the cost and availability of quality road bikes; as noted in our Buyer’s Guide, kids road bikes are being phased out of the market, and are usually quite expensive. We believe that the best way to help young athletes discover the sport without finances getting in the way is to provide them with bikes.
Our gearing up program is here to assist financially in several different ways:
- Youth Road Bike Co-Op – We currently sponsor several young athletes by loaning them youth road bikes, 6 months at a time, free of charge. We equip these bikes with kid-friendly components and standardize these bikes in an attempt to make them as similar to one another at possible. We also also lend bikes built specifically for teens pursuing triathlon purely for recreation and enjoyment.
- Club Sponsorship – In 2026, we plan to sponsor a number of youth triathlon clubs throughout the state. We want to make Florida a place kids where kids can show up to triathlon practice and use a loaner road bike the same way they might use a borrowed baseball bat at Little League.
- Free Clinics – We will sponsor free clinics in the Spring and Fall of 2026, and invite participating clubs to provide coaching at those events.
- Youth Elite Sponsorship – Finally, we provide high-end road bikes and other logistical support to Youth Elite triathletes (Ages13-15). Athletes seeking sponsorship are expected to regularly volunteer at triathlons,, log their monthly mileage, and demonstrate their own (rather than their parents’) ability to perform basic maintenance such as tire changes.
Please feel free to contact us with any questions or submit an online application to [email protected].
Application
Give Today
Special Thanks
The following individuals and/or families have all donated bikes and/or substantial bike components to our FYT Fleet. Please join us in thanking them.
The Baril Family
Scott Boswell
Scott Brookner – Read about his amazing journey in triathlon here.
The Coimbra Family
Esther Charlie
Jackie Huffman
Jenn Gilgan
Pepir Jernigan
The Lopez Family
The Lopez-Garcia Family
The McKnatt Family
Justin Partridge
The Ross Family
The Southern Burnseds
The Stormant Family
The Szymanski Family