Whether he is riding his bike along Queen Kaahumanu Highway, swimming in the pool at the Kona Community Aquatic Center, or running along Alii Drive, John Barnett is always smiling.
And if you were to ask him why he’s so happy all the time, well, he’d probably tell you, “What’s there not to be happy about?”
He’s surrounded by a loving and supportive family that includes his wife, son and daughter, great genes responsible for a high aerobic output that gets him through long training sessions and tough races, a recent retirement from a successful professional career spanning three decades, and — at the young age of 76 — he will be toeing the line at his 9th consecutive Lavaman Waikoloa race on Sunday.
Well actually, 10 total if you include his one finish at the now defunct Lavaman Keauhou Triathlon. Yes, there’s plenty to be happy about.
But 10 years ago, Barnett said he could not swim.
Not one length of the 25-yard pool in Kailua-Kona. Heck, not even half the length of that same pool. Barnett rarely got into the water but really didn’t have the need to. His zest for exercise primarily involved riding his bike, of which everything — including his professional life working as a business consultant and organizational psychologist — all revolved around his passion for cycling.
So one can imagine that the thought of competing in a triathlon race never crossed his mind. And, there is also one more important fact to note. Ten years ago, Barnett was 66 years old, not exactly the age when most would consider taking on a new endeavor of swimming, biking, and running all in one race.
However, all that would change when Barnett and his wife, Chris, moved to Kona from New Jersey in 2006. They immediately immersed themselves into an active triathlon community by volunteering their time as run coordinators at the Ironman World Championships and Honu. Barnett also found himself joining the local cycling club on weekends.
After a few years volunteering at the infamous “Ironman hot spot” at the Palani Road and Kuakini Highway intersection, and watching athletes from all over the world pass by to fulfill a lifelong dream, Barnett felt inspired to challenge himself to a new sport he never thought possible – triathlon.
But, he had to learn how to swim first.
Barnett the avid cyclist
Living in New Jersey and having easy access to some of the best roads, bike trails and hill climbs, Barnett said that he has been a devoted cyclist since he was around 50-years old.
“Prior to coming here, I was a really avid cyclist and had a really great road bike back in New Jersey,” said Barnett, a Kealakekua resident. “Cycling has always been a really big part of my life. It was common for me to ride anywhere between 300-400 miles per week.
“Back in New Jersey we had a bicycle club that had multiple rides every day of the week categorized by A, B, C, D, in terms of difficulty and length. I always did the A rides. On weeknights, there would be anywhere from 50 to 150 cyclists that would come out to ride, and, there would be 3-4 different rides going out each night dependent on the level of difficulty. I always rode with the A-group, oftentimes with guys as young as 25 who were real speedsters. But I could always stay with them, even if I was 55 years old.”
It wasn’t uncommon for Barnett to challenge himself to compete in difficult cycling events. Barnett said in 2005 he trained hard for the amateur Paris-Roubaix cycling race held in Northern France that begins in Paris and finishes in Roubaix, at the border of Belgium. Like the famous professional cycling race, the event is 160 miles long and historically known for its rough terrain and cobblestone course.
“I trained for the Paris to Roubaix in 2005, but I didn’t get to finish the required training rides that Americans had to complete to qualify,” he said. “While I was able to complete two of those really long rides, the 200 and 300-kilometer, I was unable to do the 400-kilometer ride and I couldn’t go.”
Locally, Barnett has competed in various cycling races such as the Prologue 10-mile individual time trial and the Dragon — a race designed to challenge riders to conquer nine steep hill climbs in Keauhou. In both events Barnett finished smiling and was the oldest competitor on two wheels.
“Fifteen to 22 years ago, my road bike was built for speed,” Barnett said. “To get speed, you don’t have large cassettes in the back — it’s something you have to sacrifice. So I’ve been using this high-end titanium road bike called the Seven, made in Massachusetts and manufactured to fit me, to climb Hina Lani and other hill climbs. But at the Dragon race on Sunday, I noticed that everyone else had cassettes twice the size of mine. I found out I was on a 23-cassette! You don’t use a 23-cassette on big hills. So the last two or three hills, I was just hoping to keep the bike upright.”
Learning to swim
Barnett fondly remembers the morning he stepped into Steve Borowski’s Swim 101 class. It was an early Wednesday morning that had class starting at 6:15 a.m. and the year was 2009.
“I was a bit timid,” laughed Barnett. “But I knew it was something I needed to learn if I wanted to do triathlons.
Borowski’s class focused on teaching athletes of all ages and fitness levels proper technique, body position and how to breathe specifically for the freestyle stroke. His swim sessions also helped beginner triathletes learn how to navigate through the mass swim starts of a triathlon race.
Like many athletes, Barnett started in the beginner swim lane more affectionately known as, “The Guppy Lane.” His hard work ethic, determination and perseverance to improve, made getting up early on some dark and chilly mornings worthwhile when he stood at the start line of his first career triathlon race — the Lavaman Waikoloa Olympic Distance Triathlon race in 2010.
“Knowing his whole history of not being able to swim, what John has is a tremendous dedication and willingness to never give up no matter what,” said Borowski of his pupil. “I see him in the weight room at the gym, and at the pool, always just trying to improve himself. He motivates me. We all have aches and pains, injuries, but he’s out here still trying to improve himself. He is our oldest member on the Master’s swim team.
“I think people see that and it really sets the bar high for a lot of us that if he can do, we can do it. Without even knowing it, he motivates us all. His excitement for life, for fitness, and how he continues to set personal goals for himself makes him a beautiful man.”
Becoming a
triathlete
Barnett remembers attending a triathlon clinic in 2010 with nine other beginner athletes and meeting local triathlon stars, Luis De La Torre and Bree Wee, for the first time.
“I was scared to death,” Barnett recalls on preparing for his first triathlon. “I was particularly scared of the swim and then having to put it all together. I remember listening to Luis and Bree and there was a lot of emphasis on transition times and things that could go wrong.”
Barnett said that finishing his first Lavaman race in 2010 was an uplifting experience that left him wanting to do more. And ever since, he has never missed a Lavaman race start. He was hooked.
“I enjoy the whole event, but I always dread the swim,” laughed Barnett. “In Lavaman, the fast women typically start in a wave behind us, so it gives me a five minute head start before they start swimming over the top of me. Those women want me to get out of their way because I’m not moving fast enough!”
He now has a triathlon coach, Nicole Hind, who has helped him over the last three years prepare for triathlon races with longer bike rides of up to 4.5 hours, strength bike workouts on hills, brick workouts, bi-weekly runs and ocean swims.
And yes, he still attends Borowski’s Masters swim sessions three times per week.
“I’m still in the Guppy Lane,” he chuckled. “But I can definitely swim now. I can definitely do a 1.2-mile swim, though I’ve never done a 2.4 yet.”
Barnett says that he doesn’t compare himself to another athlete and just focuses on his own race. But feels that in order to improve, it’s important to have the right tools to track one’s progress.
“For example, I have a really good Garmin 920 to track my progress on every activity that I swim, bike and run,” Barnett said. “So instead of looking at how I can compare myself to others in my age group, I look at how I can compare to what I was doing last week, last month or even last year.
“To be combined with people in an age group may mean that you are put together with people who have vast experiences in their sport, and you’ll never be as competitive as them because they have been doing it for a very long time. So my advice for anyone age 55 and older that is just starting triathlon is to track your own progress and get a good tool to see how you are doing.”
And as for his trademark contagious smile and positive words of encouragement he shares with every athlete that passes by, Barnett will once again bring forth his best effort while wearing bib number 1368 for his ninth consecutive start at Lavaman Waikoloa on Sunday.
“I love helping people to achieve their potential. And a lot of times people never get a chance to do that because we tend to block ourselves. I’ve found in my consulting business, just by saying some really positive things to a person who is struggling can lift them out of the doldrums and into a whole new level of performance. I think it’s the same with people in sport. I just like helping people believe in themselves, just the way I believe in myself.
“And I really enjoy doing Lavaman. It’s the right size, the right length. Gerry (Rott) does a great job in putting it all together every year. And to have so many off-island people compete truly adds another level of thrill. It’s such a special event and I thank Gerry for all these years.”