Momentum Triathlon Academy's Tri-Cycle Program

Making their sport accessible to more young people, the Tri-Cycle Program from Momentum Triathlon Academy is an initiative that not only reduces the costs of equipment but nurtures a community spirit of sharing and support.

The program encourages participants to recycle equipment necessary to triathlon including bikes, wetsuits and sports watches. These items are then passed on to young athletes, helping them avoid hefty price tags and gain access to quality equipment while contributing to a community that values both environmental and personal responsibility.

“The program originated from an athlete who had just gone pro,” said Sam Janssen, Co-Founder of Momentum Triathlon Academy and triathlon coach. “That athlete mentioned her biggest challenge with the sport was juggling equipment costs while being a university student and she wondered if there was a way for athletes to get access to second hand gear.

“From there, we asked our community for old equipment and provided a place to house it with a list on the back-end of our website which juniors can access to check the availability of specific items. The response was incredible, we’ve had bikes donated along with Garmin watches, helmets and wetsuits.

“Junior athletes in particular grow out of the gear so quickly and it can be an expensive exercise to keep them kitted out. Through the Tri-Cycle Program, our kids can access those more costly items until they have finished growing or perhaps until they know they are truly committed to the sport when parents may be willing to fork out some more cash. In the meantime, we can help eliminate financial struggles in the early stages.”

An added bonus of the program has been the contribution to the sense of community within triathlon while Sam is also proud of the sustainability benefits.

“When we give kids an item, we try to let them know who donated it and where it came from to create a connection with that athlete or person. Our older athletes have also taken a real interest in the program and started asking about what the kids need specifically.

“We try to post pictures of the kids on our website and social media channels in their Tri-Cycle to showcase the good causes and people really have been generous – we even received cycling shoes and helmets from Sydney that were brand new.

“I’m also very fanatical when it comes to recycling and sustainability so it has fitted into those values perfectly. I’m really proud of all the equipment that we are saving from landfill.”

In the early stages of the program, teething issues included receiving too much unusable gear and Sam’s advice for other organisations/sports looking to run a similar initiative is to be specific about what you are after.

“We had to dial in on exactly what our participants needed and found that it was the higher-cost gear so that’s what we requested specifically.

“My suggestion would be to start with the heart of your community and learn what the biggest barriers are, especially for juniors. Demonstrate to the kids who provided the equipment but also show the donors the impact of their donations. When people know they are contributing to something bigger, it can have a really powerful impact.”

Learn more about Momentum Triathlon Academy’s Tri-Cycle Program here.