Kendall Leininger, a Boerne native and assistant coach for Boerne’s summer swim team, Riptide, competed in her first 70.3 Ironman in Pennsylvania.
Leininger, 20, won her age group, 18-24, and qualified for the 70.3 Ironman World Championship in Marbella, Spain, scheduled for this November.
The 70.3 Ironman course in Pennsylvania was a very challenging and technical course, according to Leininger.
The race was held at State College, starting with a 1.2-mile swim, followed by a 56-mile bike ride up and down the mountainside through Amish country, and then lastly, a 13.1-mile run throughout Penn State University’s campus and finishing outside of Beaver Stadium.
The distances of the three events equal 70.3 miles, which is how the race earned its name.
“This is something that I’ve been hoping to do for years, and I was finally able to get it done,” Leininger said. “This was such a fun race, even with the literal mountains I had to climb on the bike to reach the finish. I am so excited to do more of these and see how much faster I can get at this distance over time.”
Leininger previously represented Team USA at the World Triathlon Championships in Hamburg, Germany, in July 2023, as an individual and she was also placed on a mixed-team relay representing Team USA.
Leininger is currently a rising junior at Liberty University and is on their triathlon team. She had three other teammates compete alongside her in Pennsylvania.
Leininger is coached by 5-time Ironman champion, Heather Gollnick.
Leininger had a medical issue 19 months ago and has been fighting her way back since then. This race was accomplished through hard work, determination, grit, and lots of prayer.
“I’m so grateful to my teammates who raced it with me and encouraged me every step of the way,” she said. “Compared to where I was a year and a half ago, I could not be more grateful for where I am today. Thank you, Jesus!”
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