Mt. Lebanon senior a champion triathlete
Caspian Rebol of Mt. Lebanon flexes his muscles as he shows off his championship medal after winning his age group during the USA Triathlon Nationals held in Milwaukee.
Caspian Rebol coasts through the water during the swimming portion of the triathlon.
Caspian Rebol of Mt. Lebanon pedals powerfully through the cycling section of the triathlon.
Caspian Rebol of Mt. Lebanon sprints to the finish line in first place during the USA National Triathlon Championships held in Milwaukee.
Rebol fourth in open water During a tune-up event before he won his age group in the USA Triathlon Nationals, Caspian Rebol of Mt. Lebanon finished fourth in an open water competition. Held in Lake Michigan, the race served as the 750-meter portion of the swimming leg in Rebol’s triathlon. “I wanted to get a feel for the course and the atmosphere because the event draws good crowds,” Rebol said. The open water swim was not an age group race. Rebol competed against many swimmers older his age of 17. “I wanted to podium and just missed it,” he said, “but (fourth) was quite the accomplishment.” Because of the water temperatures, Rebol swam in a wet suite. When he competes in a triathlon, he does not. Either way, he said, “It was quite cold.”
Caspian Rebol describes himself an ordinary teenager. He favors burgers and a Coke. Since age 4, he has participated in sports. He swims, rides a bike and runs.
“I would not consider myself to be talented,” he said.
Alas, Rebol is humble. For when he combines swimming, cycling and running, the Mt. Lebanon senior certainly is gifted. In fact, he’s a champion.
Rebol captured first place in his 17-18 age group during the USA Triathlon Nationals held Aug. 6 in Milwaukee. He covered the Super Sprint course in 37:10.
“I am extremely proud of my victory,” Rebol said. “Success comes from hard work and discipline and I certainly earned the spot where I am.”
Rebol is relatively new to the sport, having only competed in his first triathlon three years ago at Moraine State Park. He finished 17th.
“I didn’t do very well,” he said.
Rebol though is a self-made athlete. During the first two years of his career, he trained by himself and studied as much as he could about the sport. He had no coach nor team until he attended a pre-nationals training camp at Slippery Rock University. Now, he is coached by Joela Baker and competes for Get Fit Families, which won the team competition at nationals.
“Joela and my family are the most instrumental people in my career,” said the 17-year-old son of Jesse Kyla Rebol. “Having a coach and being on a team helps a lot.”
Rebol noted he had the “best performance” of his career at nationals.
“I’m incredibly grateful,” he said. “I gave all I had to get the victory.”
Battling abdominal muscle cramps throughout the competition, Rebol truly gritted out the win.
During opening leg of the event – a 750-meter open water swim – he clocked a 4:44 time. While he came out of the water in fourth place, his transition to the bike consumed just 95 seconds and moved Rebol into second position.
“Transition is the name of the game. I train for them like any leg of the race,” Rebol explained.
In that zone, Rebol noted his sunglasses and helmet are well positioned and his shoes are already clipped onto the bike. “I also do this flying mount onto the bike to get a quick start,” he added.
Despite his quick breakaway, Rebol dropped back to fourth place. He timed an 18:49 during the 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) cycling section.
“It’s a lot harder to race a short distance on a bike especially when there is an extremely strong head wind and a big hill,” Rebol said. “You are going all out the whole race and I got hit with cramps.”
While he could not pinpoint the cause of his muscle spasms because he does his share of sit-ups and push-ups to build a strong core, Rebol shouldered on. He transitioned quickly (52 seconds) and cleanly into the run. He left the area in second place and overtook the leader 800 yards into the 1.5-mile sprint. Rebol finished in 11:13 time.
Of the strategy he said, “I like to make my move early because I have the mental toughness to hold out to the end of the race. It came down to digging deep and gritting it out.”
During the summer months, which is typically triathlon season, Rebol grinds out 4- to 7-hour workouts a day, six days a week. He also opts for a “very healthy diet” instead of dining on burgers and steak.
During the winter months, Rebol stays in shape by competing on the Mt. Lebanon High School aquatics team. He was a WPIAL qualifier in the 100-yard freestyle and breaststroke events. Hence, the swim section of a triathlon is typically his strongest although he is ranked fourth nationally on the bike.
While triathlon is his No. 1 sport, Rebol is undecided about competing at the collegiate level, even though it is a NCAA sport and schools do offer scholarships. He wants to study exercise science and has narrowed his top university choices to West Virginia, Dayton and Penn State.
“My long-term goal is to make Team USA and compete at the World Championships. I’m also interested in doing longer distances but am specializing in sprints at this stage of my career,” Rebol said.
Nevertheless, his most recent adventure, inspired Rebol and proved a powerful confidence booster for his future endeavors.
“I’ve learned that when I have 100 percent dedication to something I can accomplish any goal,” he said.
During a tune-up event before he won his age group in the USA Triathlon Nationals, Caspian Rebol of Mt. Lebanon finished fourth in an open water competition.
Held in Lake Michigan, the race served as the 750-meter portion of the swimming leg in Rebol’s triathlon.
“I wanted to get a feel for the course and the atmosphere because the event draws good crowds,” Rebol said.
The open water swim was not an age group race. Rebol competed against many swimmers older his age of 17.
“I wanted to podium and just missed it,” he said, “but (fourth) was quite the accomplishment.”
Because of the water temperatures, Rebol swam in a wet suite. When he competes in a triathlon, he does not.
Either way, he said, “It was quite cold.”