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The NCAA News -- December 7, 1998

END ZONE -- Lake Forest freshman chases Ironman dream to Hawaii

BY KAY HAWES
STAFF WRITER

While other kids dreamed of hitting a home run in the World Series or throwing a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl, little Joe Zemaitis dreamed of running in the Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii.

A competitive swimmer with a load of trophies by age 8, Zemaitis entered his first triathlon, part of the Ironkids series, at age 9. He continued to compete in the Ironkids until age 15, when he moved up to a half Ironman, or half the regular course of 2.4 miles swimming, 112 miles biking and 26.2 miles running.

But at age 12, Zemaitis set his sights on his goal -- to enter the Ironman at age 18, the first year he would be eligible.

It's a little odd to be dreaming of putting yourself through such grueling conditions at a young age, but Zemaitis has always thought of such endurance tests as "fun."

"I did my first triathlon when I was 9, and I've loved it ever since," he said.

Now a Lake Forest College freshman who competes on the varsity cross country team and varsity swim team, Zemaitis saw his dreams come true this fall when he became the youngest competitor in this year's 20th anniversary Ironman.

Zemaitis didn't think of this just as his first attempt, and he didn't finish where most rookies would. He finished eighth in the 18-24 age group and was the second American to finish in his age group. He finished 140th overall, crossing the finish line ahead of more than 90 percent of the 1,500 entrants.

At the swimming stage, Zemaitis was the 18th person out of the water, and at that point he was even one minute and 28 seconds ahead of the eventual winner of the entire race, 29-year-old Peter Reid of Canada.

Zemaitis battled through windy conditions during the bike stage, completing the 112 miles in just under six hours. His time for the marathon portion -- three hours and 15 minutes -- was the 69th best time of the day. Zemaitis was hoping to run eight-minute miles during the marathon, but he actually ran 7:26 splits to finish under 10 hours, his personal goal for the race.

Less than 48 hours after the race, Zemaitis was on the phone to Lake Forest head cross country coach Mike Wajerski, expressing his interest in joining his teammates in competing at their next meet the following Friday. Most athletes allow several weeks to recover from a triathlon, but Zemaitis just isn't the type of person who can be persuaded to sit down, even for a minute.

"I told Joe we'd wait and see about running this Friday," Wajerski said. "But Joe has such tremendous mental toughness and determination that it's hard to tell the kid he can't do something."

Zemaitis did end up participating in the cross country season for Lake Forest. He ran in two meets before the triathlon and in three meets afterward.

Now Zemaitis has joined the swim team where he swims in long-distance races.

Zemaitis is committed to his sports, but he's also committed to his academics. Zemaitis may pursue triathlon competition as a professional someday, but in the meantime he plans to get a degree.

Zemaitis had a successful academic experience in high school, and he is the recipient of the Presidential Scholarship and the Richter Scholarship at Lake Forest.

The Presidential Scholarship is awarded to those who score 28 or higher on the ACT, are in the top 20 percent of their class and have a minimum grade-point average of 3.500 on a 4.000 scale.

In the summer when Zemaitis doesn't have to worry about school, he focuses on his training. A typical week in the summer would include 20 miles swimming, 250-300 miles biking and 40-50 miles running.

Zemaitis also found time last summer to work as a head coach for the Phoenix Swim Club, where he shared his passion for sports with youngsters just starting out.

"It was a great experience working with the young people," he said. "That is how I got started in sports when I was little, and I enjoyed seeing the little kids and helping them. It's a way to give back some of what sports has given to me."

Who knows? Maybe one of those little kids will follow in his footsteps and dream of competing in triathlons.