By Katlin Schendel
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Senior Brandee Schiller competed in the XTerra World Championship triathlon on Nov. 1 on Maui as one of the youngest competitors in the women’s 15 to 19 category. Schiller overcame a 1-mile swim, 20 miles of mountain biking and a 6.5-mile trail run through multiple terrains and although she was not a top scorer, Schiller takes comfort in the support of her family and friends and the fact that she tried her best.
“A triathlon is a test to kinds, mental and physical; mentally with the faith in God and the support from my family and friends. They not only helped me get through the race, but through life. They’ve taught me how to overcome (races),” stated Schiller.
A constant worry in long races is the athlete’s health. Heat stroke, extreme fatigue or dehydration are huge concerns when running a triathlon. Lt. Col. Timothy Schiller, Brandee Schiller’s father, who attended the race, stated, “There was about 30 people who had IV’s in their arm. I mean, (the triathlon is) a gruelling thing. These are top athletes, in the world, and even the top athletes had shortcomings.”
With these risks in mind, Brandee Schiller prepared her body through hours of training. “Practice and nutrition is key. One can not just expect to do great without (any) practice. I am working out everyday, swimming, running and biking with the help of my coaches and teammates pushing me to my limits,” Brandee Schiller stated.
The weekend of the triathlon, Brandee Schiller competed in the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) cross country championship as well. “Saturday morning I had a cross-country state three mile race,” Brandee Schiller said. “After that, I went straight into recovery mode to wake up at 5 a.m. the next morning to go to my XTerra race.”
Brandee Schiller’s hard work and dedication did not go unnoticed by her teams and family. Junior Maya Hoeft, one of Brandee Schiller’s team mates on the cross-country team, stated, “I’m proud of her for doing (the triathlon), especially back to back like that because it’s really physically taxing.”
Even with the HHSAA race the day before, Brandee Schiller pushed her limits throughout the triathlon. “My swim was great. I was one of the first females to exit and had a bit of a head start for the bike,” Brandee Schiller said. “There’s so many obstacles with off road biking. I fell three times and thankfully I didn’t eat it bad,” said Brandee Schiller. After this portion, she fell back into her strong suit: cross-country running. “The 10k run was fun. Three miles uphill was tough, but I flew on the three miles back down the mountain,” Brandee Schiller said.
With the stress and strain of a triathlon many people lose motivation and struggle to the finish, but that was not the case for Brandee Schiller. “I hope to continue being active for as long as I can because health is wealth, and that is my greatest motivation in life,” Brandee Schiller stated.
When Brandee passed the finish line, she was greeted by her father and brother. “I was so happy because she had worked so hard, over the past year,” Timothy Schiller said. “I was there with my camera in hand, and my son (Timothy Schiller Jr.), and it was just a good feeling that she wasn’t hurt and had accomplished it.”
After her long weekend of hard work, Brandee has implemented the experience into her life. Brandee said, “The knowledge I gained from this weekends events will help me become a better person. Thanking my family and friends for their endless support, proving to myself I can overcome anything and my experiences have brought me closer to God, because without him, I wouldn’t have been blessed with the life I’m able to passionately live in.”
Even with her cross country season and triathlons over, Brandee Schiller continues to remain active as the swimming season begins. She hopes to qualify for states this year in relay races, and compete individually in the 500-meter and 200-meter events.
