The Elite Triathlon Academy, a landmark program that will provide the United States’ top up-and-coming triathletes the opportunity to receive a top-notch college education while benefitting from a full-time coach and the nation’s best training resources, will debut this autumn/fall at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) with national-level support from USA Triathlon and the United States Olympic Committee.
The ultimate goal of the program — directed by Keith Dickson, the founder of the Illinois-based Multisport Madness Triathlon Team — is to develop potential Olympic triathletes into medal contenders on the sport’s biggest stage. Five of the nation’s best emerging multisport athletes, including 2010 Youth Olympic Games medallists Kevin McDowell and Kelly Whitley, comprise the first class of the Elite Triathlon Academy, which will enrol at UCCS in August.
Prior to the formation of this program, the top junior triathletes in the US often chose to pursue running and swimming at the collegiate level due to the availability of scholarships. The Elite Triathlon Academy will identify potential Olympians and allow them to continue their multisport development throughout their college years with the potential to earn a collegiate scholarship.
