This October, Jillian will have the honor of competing in The Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. There, she will swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run a full marathon 26.2 miles.
Eileen Jacinth
The Road to Kona
I’d like to introduce you to my daughter, Jillian. For many of you, no introduction is necessary – she’s a popular instructor and successful personal trainer at FI. She has always been an athlete, but over the past two years she’s taken it to a completely different level. She dabbled in triathlons years before as a preteen, but softball was her true passion. So after graduating from college and leaving softball behind, she decided to give the sport of triathlons another try.
She Came Out of the Gate Strong.
At the Riverhead Rocks Triathlon Olympic Distance 2016, she placed 3rd. That was it. There was no turning back. Another race followed, where she placed 2nd. Jillian is always looking for the next challenge; two months later she upped the bar and did her first Half-Ironman placing 1st in her age group and 5th overall. One year and nine races later – placing on the podium eight times – she qualified for the dream race for any triathlete. Winning that race also changed her rating in the organization. She achieved Gold Status and is rated Top 1% in the world! This October, Jillian will have the honor of competing in The Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii. There, she will swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run a full marathon 26.2 miles.
Work. Work. And More Work.
So let’s acknowledge how much work it takes to get there. Currently, Jillian is training with South Shore Tri under Paul Van Guilder. He told me that, “Watching Jillian’s triathlon career flourish over the past year and a half has been an absolute pleasure. Her tireless work ethic, dedication to her training plan, and positive attitude all pointed to her achieving her goal of qualifying for the Ironman World Championship in Kona! It couldn’t have happened for a nicer, sweeter, or fiercer athlete! I can’t wait to see what’s in store for her on October 13th and how all of her hard work and training over the last six months will pay off. Maikaʻi pōmaikaʻi Jill !”
She also has continuous mentoring from Bob McKewon who owns the company (both Bob and Paul are longtime FI members). Bob writes, “It’s been an honor being part of Jillian’s journey over the past two years. Her dedication and desire to succeed surpasses all others out on the race. She has earned her place at the Ironman World Championship amongst the greatest in the World. South Shore Tri Coach has been honored to have Jillian as a sponsored athlete. She exemplifies the values of a great athlete and person. More important to me is the friendship, banter, and smiles we get to share on a daily basis during training! Jillian is family, and this family has had some great memories! The best still lies ahead…Ho’omaika’i ‘ana!” Their guidance and expertise, together, have been critical to her success.
Time. Time. And More Time.
But in the end, it’s how much time she puts in in preparation which will count the most. During the height of her training, in one week she will swim 4 hours (10,000 yards), bike 10 hours (250 miles), run 5 1/2 hours (35 miles) plus lift/recovery workouts for 3 hours. All of this coupled with personal training clients, teaching multiple classes and working a full-time job. Jillian Jacinth, you truly are an Ironman!
Congratulations Jackie Locantro!
Jackie, pictured above, lost 18 pounds and 4% body fat during the Summer Challenge with Eileen and Jillian Jacinth! Great job, Jackie!
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About the Author
Eileen Jacinth
Eileen Jacinth is an AAAI/ISMA-certified Personal Trainer, a Group Exercise Instructor, and a certified Spin Instructor at Fitness incentive.