TCSD CONVERSATION WITH:
By Craig Zelent
Kyle Hummel
“
”
I got to talk triathlon with TCSD’s most recent World Champion
Kyle Hummel. It will blow your mind to hear what Kyle has gone
through just to be able to walk around like a normal guy. He has
come so far to become the Ironman 70.3 World Champion for
the men’s 30-34 age group. He is an awesome athlete who
really appreciates the gifts he has been blessed with. I know
you will enjoy getting to know Kyle.
Craig: What was your athletic background before you started racing
triathlons?
Kyle: I grew up competing in every
sport my parents would let me be
in. The one sport I never had
enough time for was swim team,
which would have paid off big
time now, but that is all good.
Basketball has always been a love
of mine, I never have enough
time to get on the court anymore but hoops is definitely a
sport that I love. I always kinda
knew growing up that running
was going to be my best sport.
My family moved into Yakima, Kyle hanging w
ith his pa
rents afte
WA, when I entered high school,
r a 70.3.
and was blessed by being able to run cross country and track for one of the best coaches in the and I was all loopy
country. I was able to earn a scholarship as an coming out of the water. I thought running
800 meter runner for Eastern Washington shorts and especially spandex were very un-cool,
so as I entered T1 I stripped my board shorts off
University.
(now completely naked), threw on underwear,
What was your first triathlon experience like bike shorts, and then basketball shorts over the
for you…and the spectators?
bike shorts. I tossed on a cut off sleeve shirt,
Kyle: My first tri was a sprint tri during my jun- bike gloves, helmet, my sister’s sunglasses,
ior year of high school. For some reason I socks, running shoes and hopped on my dad’s
thought some good cross training (swim, bike, old school yellow 10-speed bike where you had
and run) would be good for my cross country to shift down on the frame; it was awesome. I
summer training. I never swam before the race. came into T2 for another complete change of
I rode a couple of times, but was running every clothes and then ran my guts out for the 5K. No
day for cross. I swam in board shorts and no
continued on page 8
goggles. My contact came off my eye mid swim,
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