SWIM POSSIBLE

Joan Colton isn’t in it for the fame or fortune.

A triathlete in training, the 55-year-old Hayden resident is out to prove to herself that multisport competitions aren’t just for the super-enabled athletes among us. While her first attempt before a full triathlon will be a half race at the Riverstone development in July, Colton is among a growing number of people answering an internal call to test their physical fortitude by signing up for a tri-level challenge.

Coach Dee Fraser is there to help.

As the creator of the Kroc Center’s multisport training program, now in its second year at the center, Fraser, 61, makes a living guiding athletes from their first steps of training to crossing the finish line. In almost two decades of coaching, she’s taught thousands of athletes who have competed locally and internationally in races from sprints to Ironman events. The athletes also cover all ability levels, from “newbies” such as Colton to seasoned veterans.

And for Colton, Fraser is helping realize a long-held dream while stamping out some fears – mainly about water.

“I was interested in looking to improve my swimming confidence, looking for help, because I need it very much,” Colton said with a laugh while taking a break between laps at the Kroc Center during a class. “I’m excited about it. I have a lot of work still, but that’s what learning is all about.”

The multisport training program covers all aspects of triathlon – running, biking and swimming – in groups from novice to advanced. There’s endurance freestyle swimming for veteran triathletes, bike endurance and river run classes that build leg longevity and reduce chances of injury. Classes are offered throughout the week in the morning and evening, with optional homework between meetings.

“We address everybody, every level, with very personal, individual attention,” Fraser said.

The program goes beyond teaching techniques and proper form, Fraser explained. The three coaches, including Derek Garcia, 26, and Tisha Taylor, 21, work one-on-one to educate athletes on sports psychology. Each person progresses at a different rate, has individual goals and works to overcome personal obstacles.

“The classes we keep small. … We’re in their lives, so to speak. Our mission is to get to know them, to engage with them and teach them safety and technique,” Fraser said. “What we do is we believe in them so they can believe in themselves – that’s the key. If people are willing to do the work and listen and not give in to their doubt and fear, we can help them succeed.”

Typically, sports programs are driven by a business model, she added. “We’re a business but we’re community based. Here at the Kroc Center, anyone can come – you don’t have to be a Kroc member to get in our swim or multisport program,” she said. “It’s just been a great situation, a win-win, and the Kroc Center is very much behind what we do and the community.”

Originally hired as the head lifeguard at the fitness facility, Fraser started multisport training last year after witnessing a surge in people interested in triathlons, especially with Coeur d’Alene hosting its own triathlon and Ironman competitions. Formerly from California, her coaching credentials include a variety of certifications from USA Triathlon. So she’s accustomed to working through the issues that plague athletes and nonathletes, holding them back or causing them never to begin training in the first place.

Quenching prerace jitters, Fraser said, is the first step, whether they start 10 minutes or 10 months before a race. Just signing up for the competition takes guts, she said, and it’s the coach’s job to see that the students stick to their commitment.

It’s also important to start training now for the 2011 season, Fraser added. “You have to build a base before you get to the point where you can start training for Ironman. We are in base training right now, and then we build on that starting in January,” she said. “The people in our classes don’t have to be the best; we just want them healthy, happy, and to feel good about their attempt.”

Garcia is a former student of Fraser. Under her guidance, he competed in his first triathlon in the Lake City in 2006, adding an Ironman race two years later and competing again in 2009.

Adhering to Fraser’s individual-centered coaching style, the best part about his job is watching each athlete develop, Garcia said.

“I love seeing people get better,” he said. “When people come through to learn how to swim, we really try to teach them fundamentals in a way that if their spouse or a friend would like to learn, they have the basics down as far as terminology and mechanics so that they can help others around them.”

The multisport offerings will expand to include a junior training program for ages 12 to 17 early next year. The $40-per-month classes will be offered three days a week to teenagers interested in triathlons as well as athletes from other sports who want to continue training in the offseason. Scholarships are also available for qualifying students.

“The kids are seeing an increase in interest in the community and it’s starting to become more popular among all age groups,” Garcia said. “We want to be right at the forefront of that as far as teaching kids how to train healthy and do things that are appropriate for their age. We don’t require they have a swimming background; anyone can get into it.”

Perhaps most important for any budding triathlete is learning to balance training with a normal life, Garcia said.

“Any sport you get into can be a really selfish sport, but triathlons in general can become a really selfish sport. So we try to help people balance that and see how to make it work in the realm of having a family and social life without being isolated,” he said.

Jeremiah Keevy attended a recent “swim smart” class to see if the program might benefit his new workout routine. Having paid the almost $700 noncompetitor fee for the 2011 Ironman, the 24-year-old is looking to boost his base aquatic training, which he said is his weakest phase in the three-part competition.

“I wanted to be a part of it before I move on with my life and move somewhere else and do something else. I always see it every year and I look at the people doing it and think they are absolutely insane. Something clicked with me last year and I thought, ‘I bet I can do that,’ ” said Keevy, who traded smoking and drinking habits for a 20-hour-per-week training regime in the last year. “It’s like an achievement, and it would be great to put on a resume. Like, ‘What’s the most intense thing you’ve ever done?’ Well, I’ve done the Ironman – just kind of a bragging-rights sort of thing. I think the rewards are going to far outweigh the costs.”

After watching Fraser, Garcia and Taylor bounce around the perimeter of the pool coaching the students, he decided the class is just what he needs to kick his training into high gear.

“I’m really excited about it, I think it’s exactly what I need, because what Dee does and how she runs the class based on abilities, she really goes the extra mile to work with you,” Keevy said.

“Once you start doing it, it becomes kind of addicting. I enjoy it, I really do. It becomes a part of your lifestyle – it really is a lifestyle change.”