We've all been the newbies on borrowed bikes, the pie-eyed on the receiving end of veteran advice, and through it all we've learned what our sport is really all about. Triathlon may be an individual endeavor, but it doesn't take long before you realize you're anything but in it alone. This is the message of Team Evotri, a band of everyday age-groupers driving the new evolution of sport and team.

From organizing free training camp weekends to virtual races and charity projects, and blogging about their experiences with sponsored gear and coaching, the members of Team Evotri are committed to promoting the goodwill of the sport, and to extending opportunities for personal and community growth to as many people as they can along the way. By forging synergies between sponsors and the triathlon community as a whole, Team Evotri has created a platform for bigtime give back.

Training away!

Photo: James Korn

In the team's corner are triathlon powerhouses: BMC, CycleOps, Vision Quest Coaching, Zipp Speed Weaponry, SRAM and 2XU. These companies have sponsored this team of everyday age groupers by providing them with fierce TT02 Time Machines; CycleOps Wireless PowerTap SL2.4s and Fluid2 Trainers; Zipp 606 wheelsets, cranks and bars; wetsuits and clothing; SRAM drivetrains and brake components, as well as each member's custom-designed training package by the Vision Quest coaching staff with input from head coach Robbie Ventura.

Evotri has one more sponsorship slot to award for this season, and would like to offer you the chance to make the team!

Current team members Stu, Greg, Tracy, Michelle, Chris and Charlie come from all over the country and the ability spectrum:

Charlie, or newly nicknamed "TriCajun," was the first to be added to the team in 2008, having won the first sponsorship by video submission (which you can find on Youtube) and public vote. He lives and trains in Cajun country in Southern Louisiana and is a family physician. Charlie is married with daughters, and is tackling his first Ironman in Panama City this fall. To learn more about Charlie, and to hear about his open water swims with the alligators in the Bayou, visit TriCajun.com.

Chris, or "Sweet," the moniker that also happens to be his surname, started doing kids' tris when he was still in junior high. A former collegiate swimmer and runner, he now focuses solely on triathlon. Although his real passion is XTERRA, being stuck in the cornfields of central Illinois severely curtails this pursuit. A five-time Ironman finisher, Sweet finally punched his ticket to Kona last fall at Ironman Wisconsin, and the team is excited to support him the entire way. Follow him as he prepares for Kona on his Web site: goalisthejourney.com.

Stu, or as the endurance world knows him, "Simply Stu," is an avid triathlete who loves to talk about triathlons and sport in general. Stu is married with two children, and has done countless triathlons and 10 marathons for Team In Training in support of his daughter who had Leukemia at 10 months old. Among his accolades, Stu is also the personality behind the Simply Stu Triathlon Podcast, available on iTunes, and the manager of the team. Also visit him at his Web site: SimplyStu.com

Greg, or "Bolder" as the bloggy world knows him, lives, trains and races in Boulder, Colorado - the Rocky Mountain triathlon Mecca! He writes a light-hearted, slightly irreverent and popular blog entitled "Bolder in Boulder" where thousands of people join him each week for some inspiration, motivation and more than an occasional smile. There's nothing light-hearted about his passion for endurance sports, however. Last year he competed in 18 events, including an Ironman, two half-Ironmans, several sprint/Olympic-distance triathlons, six aquathons, three centuries, two half-marathons and his namesake race, the 10km Bolder Boulder. In his spare time, he enjoys photography, Stephen Colbert, movie nights and every flavor of Ben & Jerry's! Stop in and see Greg at bolderinboulder.blogspot.com.

Tracy, or as many know her, "Iron Wil," is a married mom of two grade schoolers and an English teacher at an alternative high school in the Midwest. This year will be Wil’s fourth full season as an age-group triathlete. She has completed sprint to iron-distance triathlons, two marathons and numerous half-marathons, and is also the author of an upcoming nonfiction book about balancing family, career and sport during her personal journey from non-endurance athlete to Ironman. She co-hosts the popular triathlon podcast, Get Your Geek On! and is a contributing editor for the well-known triathlon hub, Trifuel.com. Tune in on iTunes, or swing by throughth3wall.com to check in with Tracy.

Michelle, the team's very own "Rural Girl," is a married mother of two who works as a nurse practitioner in a rural north-central Wisconsin community. After her first triathlon in 2005, she knew she had stumbled across something life-changing. She thrives on competition and the desire to continually improve. Her long-term goal and dream of a lifetime would be to qualify for and race Kona, and with the help of her new Vision Quest coach, she's started chasing it down. Visit Michelle at rural-girl.blogspot.com to learn more about this small town girl with big time plans.

Team Evotri with Vision Quest coaches

Photo: James Korn

JOIN THE TEAM!
Over the course of the next few months, the team will be looking for another member to help it spread the word and grow the sport that has given its members so much. The right candidate will have a certain determination to not only reach new horizons in personal endurance performance, but in community development and outreach as well.

Do you have what it takes to make the team? If you think so, e-mail an essay of 500 words or less explaining why and how you'd be the best addition. All entries are due June 20, and may be sent to makingtheteam@evotri.com.

To learn more about the team, its members, and their mission, visit evotri.com, and be sure to check back in with Inside Tri to meet the newest fully-sponsored member of the team!