Local Olympic gold medalist returns to the water to compete in Daytona triathlon
CLEARWATER, Fla. - Brooke Bennett may not be training for the Olympics anymore, but she still tries to beat the clock.
"I focus mainly on the water, and the open water and marathon swims," said Bennett.
These days, though, the three-time Olympic gold medalist wears more than just Olympic titles. She has new titles such as "mom," a Clearwater Beach lifeguard, and a development manager for CFY, a Pinellas County non-profit youth sports program.
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"I was that youth athlete. I do know the importance of being a youth athlete," she said.
All these experiences, however, have now led Bennett to dive into the water, once again. This weekend the Olympic champ will be taking part in the Clash Endurance Triathlon at the Daytona Super Speedway.
"I've heard amazing things, and I just want to absorb it all in as far as experiencing being down there," Bennett said.
As a Tampa native, Bennett has been to the World Center of Racing before, but this will be a whole new experience. But, there is one problem.
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While she is a natural in the water, Bennett is not much of a tri-athlete.
"I can say I'm a great swimmer. But, I'm an average cyclist, and I'm a poor runner," she joked.
Luckily for Bennett, she was teamed up with another celebrity competitor who would rather not swim.
"So that took my status from here up to Olympic status. Which is kind of cool, because it still travels with me," she said.
As a bonus, Bennett will also serve as a lifeguard when the pro triathletes hit the Super Speedway on Sunday as she couldn't pass up a chance to be surrounded by world-class athletes once again.
"I'm a sports junkie," Bennett said. "Every sport has a skill, but to see these athletes being great at three things puts them above and beyond."
As it turns out, though, Bennett has another reason to jump back into the water as she and two other celebrities will be featured in a YouTube series titled "Women Without Limits" in the hopes of inspiring others.
"For me, if I can encourage another mom, another athlete, to be able to find that balance within your day and life, I think that's significant," she said.
So, while Olympic titles are no easy thing to come by, Bennett is just hoping to show that anyone can live up to their own titles – whatever they may be.