When racers ages 6 to 14 sign up for the JUST TRYAN IT triathlon, they get a kid-friendly introduction to the physical challenges of racing while also contributing to a good cause. The benefit event was created by Carrie Norry, who was living in Bethesda and training for a triathlon when Ryan Darby, the 6-year-old son of one of the 12 women she was training with, was diagnosed with leukemia in 2009. Ryan was undergoing treatment when his mom, Mollie Darby of Bethesda, told Norry she noticed parents having to leave their sick child’s side to make ends meet. This inspired Norry to create JUST TRYAN IT in 2010. The Bethesda-based nonprofit raises money to cover nonmedical expenses for families of children with cancer. Ryan—who’s been cancer-free for five years and is now a freshman at Walt Whitman High School—has participated in seven races. To compete, racers pay $60 to register and must raise at least $50. Depending on their age, children swim one, two or four lengths of the pool, bike for just under 1 mile, and run a half-mile, a mile or 2 miles. The event also includes face painters, moon bounces, cornhole, a DJ and food. The kids-only triathlon has been held annually since June 2010 at Landon School in Bethesda, and the 2018 event drew 454 racers who raised more than $125,000. The 2019 triathlon will take place on June 16. JUST TRYAN IT has also held races in Alexandria, Virginia, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.
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