Relentless: First-time triathlete racing for a purpose

  • Published
  • By Nathan Smith
  • AFCEC Public Affairs
SAN ANTONIO, Texas --  On a winter Saturday morning, they were asking him and a hundred others to participate in a rigorous training schedule while balancing work, family and even fundraising for a cause to which he had no personal ties. Val de la Fuente, a member of the Air Force Civil Engineer Center's Installations Directorate, was ready to quit before he began.

Although at that moment, he was ready to walk out with his six year-old son, he found a reason to stay.

"They showed us a video with a six-year old girl that had blood cancer and we both sat still and listened; she was very sick, and her doctors wanted to try a new treatment developed by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society," he said. "Her parents allowed them to try, and the treatment made her even sicker. It took her every last bit of energy until suddenly she started to get better. In a few days she was lots better, and after a few weeks she was home.

"The video ended with her playing outside in the yard with her family - just as healthy as my little son sitting next to me," de la Fuente recalled. "It was at that moment that I knew I had been guided to this place for a greater purpose."

That moment carried him through to May 26 when De la Fuente participated in the Capital of Texas Triathlon in an effort to raise money to find cures and more effective treatments for blood cancers. De la Fuente participated as a member of LLS' Team In Training, a group of like-minded individuals dedicated to the same cause.

The 50 year-old program execution chief in the Air Force Civil Engineer Center's Installations Directorate Base Realignment and Closure Management Division here ultimately lost 25 pounds while raising more than $3,000, but it didn't come easily. De la Fuente trained between four and six days a week, balancing a brutal regimen with his demanding work and family schedule.

"There were days when I swam at 6 a.m. or biked after work and before a dinner engagement," he said. "Saturdays were brutal; 6:30 swim, then bike, then run, pick up my son after lunch, take him swimming or to a birthday party, then finally home to watch a show on the couch."

The team's jerseys bore the word "relentless" on the front and "Relentless for a cure" on the back. The first day de la Fuente wore his jersey was on a team-ride of 37 miles in the rain. After wearing it once, it was stained with the mud and road grime around the team's slogan. For de la Fuente, those stains bring to mind much more than just a grueling day of training.

"I hope those spots never wash out because to me they are going to represent the tears of all of those who have suffered or have had loved ones suffer from cancer of any type," he said.

After the months of hard work, finally the Memorial Day triathlon in Austin, Texas, came. The team opted for the longest course, which consisted of a .93-mile swim, 24.8-mile bike ride and a 6.2-mile run.

De la Fuente and his team lived up to their "relentless" motto, completing their journey as a team. While they knew those they raced for still had a long journey to go in their individual battles with blood cancers, they could feel at least somewhat satisfied knowing as a team they had raised almost $300,000 for LLS.

The day after swimming, biking and running more than 30 miles in miserable conditions, one would think the 50 year-old may not have felt like getting out of bed the next day, but de la Fuente said it was the opposite.

"I felt great - physically. emotionally and psychologically," he said "I am glad to have raised $3,200 for LLS, glad to have competed, glad to have shared the tri with two of my sisters and my son, and proud of myself for not giving up in early February."

De la Fuente is not resting on his laurels; on June 21, he is participating in the Gator Bait Memorial Triathlon in Boerne, Texas. While he is racing individually, he is still raising funds for a cause he feels strongly about.

Editor's Note: People interested in participating in an event like a triathlon, may be interested in this tip from de la Fuente: "Don't push yourself too hard too fast. Instead, build up to it and check with your doctor, and fitness trainer or online resources to find the right training plan for you. Above all, have fun!"