Article from Northern Connection Magazine
By Janice Lane Palko

Joella Baker, our Fit Families columnist, not only walks her talk, she runs, swims and bikes it as well. As a result, Baker, a resident of Harmony, as qualified to represent Team USA at the Long Course Triathlon World Championship in Vitoria, Spain.

"At the age of 40, in 2010, I finally qualified or my first Team USA slot. I participate as an age group athlete, and to win a slot, you must qualify for Long Course Nationals by receiving a  qualifying time at a sanctioned race. After that, you go to Nationals where you must place in the top 20 in your age group to win a slot to worlds. This past year,  Worlds were held in Henderson, Nev. It was my first time representing Team USA. It was an amazing experience.

Unfortunately, they cancelled the swim at the event, and we were left to only bike and run in very tough conditions. I still had a good race, but not the race I had planned to have since swimming is my strength in triathlons," Baker said.
Nevertheless, Baker will travel to Spain to compete on July 29. "We will swim 2.5 miles, bike 75 miles and run 18.6 miles. Since it will be in July, I'm hoping they won't cancel the swim," Baker said.
Baker will begin her training for the event shortly. "I'll start officially training for the race in February. Training consists of two to nine hours of training per day for about six months. It's extremely tough at times but well worth it in the end," Baker said. "Competing at this level is certainly different from just competing locally. The travel alone is stressful and adding the level of competition to the mix--well it's challenging to say the least."
In addition to the added stress of stiffer competition and international travel, Baker must take into consideration that she suffers from Lupus and asthma. "These two diseases aren't too forgiving when training at this level. Thankfully, I have great doctors who help me to keep training even through the bad times," Baker said.
In addition to this strenuous fitness regimen, she helps others to succeed. "As a US Triathlon Coach, I also help others from my group to succeed in the sport of triathlon and running. I train individuals for marathons and triathlons and also work with children and youth who want to learn a new sport or just have fun. We train throughout the year in all weather, and in the summer, I organize numerous camps for kids including triathlon camps, cross country camps and sport conditioning camps," Baker said.
Northern Connection magazine wishes Joella all the best, and be sure to watch for news of Joella's competition results in an upcoming issue.

 

See Joella's column in Northern Connection Magazine (page 39)