Get moving at triathlon

The BMTI Triathlon, now officially named the MIRA Triathlon, will kick off in Hengelo for the second year this weekend on June 13. The triathlon constitutes one eighth of a `real' triathlon where athletes will swim 500 kilometers, cycle 20 kilometers and run five kilometers. For the past 22 years, the Materials and Science Technology of Polymers (MTP), Elastomer Technology and Engineering (ETE) and the Polymer Chemistry and Biomaterials (PBM) groups have collectively formed their own triathlon, abbreviated as the PBT Triathlon for their group members, but now with 11 groups unified under the same academic umbrella of BMTI, the MIRA Triathlon has been replaced by the PBT Triathlon. Open to any research group at the university, the triathlon is not restricted to only groups working under the BMTI banner. Last year approximately 60 people participated in the triathlon and around ten volunteers pitched in to give a helping hand. For this year's event, organizers expect a similar response and the main purpose is to create a sportive as well as a social atmosphere to bring students together outside their office environments. The organizers have arranged for a barbeque party at the end of the evening and it is not obligatory to have participated in the triathlon to enjoy the barbecue. Liesbeth Hartsuiker, one of the main organizers, repeatedly stressed that participants do not have to be avid sportspersons to take part in the event. `The goal is to get students together in a place outside the office. Sports is just an excuse,' said Hartsuiker. All triathlon volunteers and participants will receive a free t-shirt, which according to the organizers, promises to be a `true collector's item.' Among the women, three PhD candidates in the Tissue Regeneration group, Ana Barradas, Aliz Kunstar and Janneke Hilderink, have formed a team to compete in the triathlon this year. The three PhDs share the same office space on campus and are good friends. `We work well together in the office,' says Kunstar, `I'm sure we will succeed as a team.' Hilderink is a sports enthusiast and member of the ice skating club in Enschede. She loves cycling and just enjoyed a long weekend of biking in Belgium, making the cycling portion of the race a natural choice for her. Barradas considers swimming to be a great `stress buster' and the sport of running, she said, helps keep her fit and yet have a great time. `We really had no problems choosing our sport for the triathlon,' added Hilderink. The three competitors participated in the triathlon last year, though on different teams. The three women agreed, it is the amalgamation of the three sports and a reigning sphere of fun that spurred them to join again in this year's competition. More information about joining the triathlon can be found at:http://www.bmti.utwente.nl/Nieuws/triathlon.doc/