In her mother’s footsteps

Here’s what she learned from her first race

On November 3, ÖTILLÖ Austin welcomed a very special team across the finish line: Veteran swimrunner Trista Mennen, 47, and her 10-year-old daughter, Addison Mennen, participating in a Swimrun event for the first time. The pair—team Floppy Fishsticks of Alpharetta, GA—completed the Experience distance together, logging about 10 km in total over the course of the morning.

Trista chose ÖTILLÖ Austin because of its beginner-friendly elements, such as warmer water temperatures. She highlights the fact that each swim leg follows the shoreline of the Colorado River, so you’re never too far from land. “My daughter’s comfort and safety was a top priority for me. I knew Austin would be a good fit for her,” she said. Though the event attracts its share of experienced athletes, Trista says the atmosphere at Austin is especially welcoming to beginners: “I wanted Addison to hear other athletes asking basic questions about gear and transitions so that she would know she wasn’t the only one with nerves and doubts.”

The day was a huge success overall for the mother-daughter team. “I had a big goal: Don’t ruin her love of Swimrun!” Trista said. “Aside from a few low-kew swim meets, this was her first race—ever! Our only goal was to have fun together. We did cannonballs off the dock, we ate Rice Krispie treats at aid stations, we sang together and chatted it up with other racers the entire time.”

Says Addison about the day: “I had so much fun! I always hear my mom talk about these races, but have never been. It was hard at times, but my mom helped me through it. I think it’s cool that you can do it as a team so someone can help you when you are struggling. I was really proud of myself when we finished.”

Key takeaways

The beauty of endurance events like ÖTILLÖ is that you never finish the same person you were when you started. Upon finishing the event. “I learned that it takes a lot of patience and practice to achieve a goal,” Addison said upon finishing the event. “If I put in the effort in practice, it can lead to a fun and good experience.” Wise words from a 10-year-old, indeed.

Trista enjoyed learning more about her daughter in the process. “I learned that my daughter’s competitive spirit is easily ignited,” she said. “We spent the majority of the morning having fun, but when we entered the last swim at the same time as 13-year-old Axel Byrn who was racing the Sprint distance with his father, her goals changed. She was suddenly motivated to beat him out of the water. I was surprised and delighted to see her competitive spirit come out.”

“My hope is that we will continue to see more kids participating in these events, and more families come out to do them together,” Trista adds.

If you’ve got a budding swimrunner in your life, check out ÖTILLÖ Austin for its beginner, family-friendly vibe. And join us in congratulating Team Floppy Fishsticks for their first team finish.