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From waves, to wheels, to bloody heels, Downtown Stamford was bustling with activity this morning for the fourth annual KIC IT triathlon. The race got off to a rough start at Cummings Park Beach as the low tide in Long Island Sound created unexpected hazards for swimmers. Exposed rocks led to several participants cutting their feet and requiring medical attention. Racers recovered though, and the rest of the triathlon went on without a hitch.
Amy Bevilacqua, a mother of four from Wilton, won the women's individual category with a 2:07:01 race. Bevilacqua said the shallow water actually helped her time because the swim is her weak spot in triathlons. She was able to run in the water for about half of the swim course, despite cutting her big toe on a rock.
"It feels great," Bevilacqua said. "I like to win. It feels good to win. I went hard on the bike. The run I tried to go conservative because I've been having some foot problems. It felt great."
Andrew Kalley, a personal trainer and triathlon coach from Manhattan, won the men's individual race clocking in at 2:04:37. Kalley also overcame a cut foot during the swim and pulled away in the 10k run.
"You can't take away a win and not feel good," Kalley said. "This is actually my second win in two weeks. I'm definitely on cloud nine right now."
Former New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine participated in the bicycle portion of the race as one-third of Team Valentine, raising money for the triathlon's beneficiary, Kids In Crisis. KIC has helped more than 100,000 families and children dealing with abuse, neglect, homelessness, mental health issues or extreme family conflict.
"Kids in Crisis is a great cause," Valentine said. "There's so many people reaching out, helping out, trying to make other people's lives better. I got to the bike [course] today and it was really challenging, but I'm glad we're all showing our best side here in Stamford."
One of Valentine's teammates was Elissa Glucksman, the daughter of Kids In Crisis executive director, Shari Shapiro. Glucksman was ecstatic to participate with Valentine and to team up to raise money for Kids In Crisis.
"They do great work," Glucksman said of the foundation. "They do counseling for kids. They do emergency shelter for kids who have been abused or neglected. And this really helps them out. In times like this in this economy, it's a huge help."
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