Guam’s first family of XTERRA

By the time this paper reaches newsstands this morning, over 160 swimmers, bikers, and runners will have already gathered along the shores of Micro Beach in Garapan, put their feet into the water, and rushed into the crystal clear waves at the shot of the cannon to start the 2005 XTERRA Saipan Championship.

Triathletes have come from Japan, Korea, China, Australia, France, Switzerland, Germany, Mexico, Singapore, Hong Kong, Guam, and the CNMI to participate in today’s event, and perhaps none are closer than a team of five from Guam.

Robert, Carrie, Robert Jr., Auriaunna, and Zachary Fry made the trip north for the annual event, but rather than taking a family vacation to relax at the Pacific Islands Club, the five-some will be competing.

While their dad Robert will be challenging the Championship course, and their mother Carrie tackles the Sport course, Robert Jr., Auriaunna, and Zachary will be teaming up to do a relay on the Sport course.

The Frys first got turned on to triathlons in 1995 when their friends the Wilsons introduced them to the world of multisport.

“It just caught on from there. We did quite a few triathlons in Nevada, took a break, moved to Guam, and then June of last year we all caught the bug again—well everybody but Robert Jr.”

The 18-year Navy family has moved around a bunch, but in this their third tour on Guam, the Frys really took the three disciplines to the next level.

“We started out doing the 5-kilometers, from there we moved to 10-kms, a half-marathon, and all kinds of bike races—road and mountain. We all swim, and all of the kids are on the swim team in Guam. We just tied it all together. It’s a really good group of folks over there for support. Hornet sporting Goods and the Guam Triathlon Federation really funnel you into the program,” said Robert.

While training for an event can be an expensive proposition, the Frys have received plenty of help along for the five-member team.
“They’re very supportive. They have a lot of patience, and have taken each one of our kids aside while we’re doing events and given them tips on how to improve, how to be safe, how to have fun, and to have a good attitude,” said Carrie.

According to Robert, the tri community takes the assistance a little further than that. “They offer more than that like their time, friendship, and free stuff. It’s a fairly expensive support—especially times five, so we get a lot of discounts based on that. People see that we’re serious about it and that the kids want to do it, and the folks at Hornet really help out a lot. I don’t think we could do it without GTF, it’d be too expensive,” he said.

This is the first time that the Frys have competed in this level as a family, and they have already seen that the spirit of helping fellow athletes is not just a local tradition.

In their first meeting with three-time XTERRA Saipan Champion Jamie Whitmore and her husband, the Frys saw that the support of the triathletes transcends the Guam community and is engrained into the fiber of the sport.

“Yesterday we rode the course with Jamie Whitmore and Courtney (Cardenas), and they were the same way. They offered up some pointers. It doesn’t matter who you are or how high up you go, they’re real easy going, want to make sure everyone’s safe, and they want to bring you up to their level,” said Robert.

The concept is not lost on the 12-year-old biking leg of the team, Zachary. “I just like to go out there, and how everybody encourages you. It’s just fun man,” he said.

While the Fry’s have received positive feedback from just about everybody that they have come into contact with in the world of multisport, some of the most valuable encouragement comes from one another.

“That’s one thing that with so many of us, the support within our own family is incredible—especially if we’re having an off day. There have been days when I was tired and Zach stayed back and finished the run with me. We did a duathlon the weekend before last and I was done and Auri was still on her run and I went in there and did the run again with her. It’s something we all do, even when we get other people’s kids to do it, one of us will go out and do the run with them to kind of push them,” said Carrie.

“It’s definitely a team builder,” said Robert.

The Fry family takes time to give back to the community that has made it possible to flourish, as they even volunteer at the events in Guam as well.

“It’s important to have a racer as a volunteer because then they understand what the real racer at that time is going to need at that time—when they need some water, or anything else. If someone says that they need a gel pack or some Goo, they’re going to know what they’re talking about,” said Robert.

When the gun goes off to start the race, “longtime swimmer”14-year-old Auriaunna will be the first of the three-some to get going, as she will make the 750-meter swim around the buoys before tagging Zach for the bike course. That’s when 15-year-old Robert Jr. will turn on the jets for the trail run.

The youngest of the Frys was actually the first one of the kids to take the plunge by introducing the family to triathlons.

“Zach started it out first. He actually did an adult triathlon as his first one in the “Stick and Back” and did really well. The Auri jumped right in, and we didn’t think that Robert Jr. was going to do it. He was a total teenager into the running scene, paintball, and skateboarding,” said Dad.

It only took Robert Jr. seeing his brother do the “Stick and Back” race in Guam before he told his dad “Yeah, I guess you can get me a bike.” After ordering the family’s fifth bike at Hornet, it was just a matter of the shipping. While Robert Jr. was asking his mother if the bike was in almost everyday, he wasn’t the only one waiting to see it get on island. “I think the people there were more excited then us almost. After seeing him at home at all of the runs, they were like ‘Really, Robert is going to do it?’” said Robert.

From a parent’s point of view, it is nice to see the kids getting along, and now united together for the XTERRA. Robert is still surprised that he and Carrie didn’t have to urge the kids to follow in their footsteps.

“They’re doing it as a team. Each one is representing their own discipline. What’s amazing is that we didn’t ask them to do it at all,” said Dad.