Dad challenges himself to 'tri'

As Joaquin Brignoni crossed the finish line of his first duathlon in second place, the meaning of the moment hit him. It was Father’s Day weekend, he’d completed a major milestone in his mission to get fit and he’d done it all for his three daughters.

Wanting a change

Six months ago, as he sold soda — his own vice — and unhealthy snacks at a fundraiser for his daughters’ dance team, he thought about his lifestyle — the soda, fast food and lack of exercise. He was 30 pounds overweight and lacked energy when he woke up in the morning. He wondered what his future would be like if he kept up his unhealthy habits.

“Will I be healthy for my kids?” he thought.

Brignoni decided to make a change. The same night, as he surfed the web, he found CNN’s 2011 Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge and decided to apply. He was chosen to be one of the six viewers to participate, dubbed the “six-pack,” and has spent the last five months training at home in Winter Park.

The Challenge gives each of the six the gear, training and nutritional support needed to then compete in the Nautica New York City Triathlon in August with Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN’s chief medical correspondent.

The chain of events leading up to being chosen felt like fate for Brignoni.

“I was surprised for sure, but at the same time … I felt like it was kind of meant to be,” he said.

Tough workouts

While getting picked seemed like a natural fit, the grueling workouts haven’t blended as easily into his busy schedule. Brignoni gets up at 4:30 a.m. five to six days a week, heads to the pool or the track and works out for two hours, making it home just in time to help send his daughters off to school and head to work himself. Sometimes he spends lunch breaks getting a work out in. Now, he said, two hours isn’t so bad. At the start, he felt every second.

“In the beginning it was that long,” he said.

He motivates himself by listening to music, reading others’ success stories and looking to his wife and children for support. His wife gives him an extra nudge in the morning when he wants to hit the snooze button, and his daughters ask him how his workouts are and tell him he’s looking younger. Brignoni had never been given any formal instruction in swimming and hadn’t been on a bike since he was a kid. Now the whole family does it together — a first for his daughters, who’d learned to ride a bike only after he started this program.

“This is really a life-changing experience,” his wife, Rachel Brignoni, said.

Anyone can do it

He’s also kick-started a health craze with those close to him. His aunt is doing Zumba, and his friends said they’re sure they can be successful at exercising and eating right if he can. And that’s really CNN’s goal with the six-pack, and Brignoni’s too.

“I would like people to watch their journey and realize anyone can do it … you just have to set your mind to it,” said Laura Cozik, CNN Fit Nation athletic director.

“I want to inspire others to take steps to get healthy,” Brignoni said.

Brignoni has lost almost all of that extra 30 pounds he was carrying around, has taken his mile time from 10 minutes to less than seven, is a good swimmer with potential to be great, and is enthusiastic each time he trains, said Eric Reichwein, his Winter Park triathlon trainer. His goal after the New York triathlon is to complete a half Ironman by the end of the year. But first, he’s got to finish his triathlon in less than three hours.

“He’s definitely a natural,” said Cozik, who’ll also be competing. “I actually think Joaquin is going to give me a run for my money.”

Learn more

For more information about CNN’s 2011 Fit Nation Triathlon Challenge and Joaquin Brignoni’s journey, visit tinyurl.com/CNNBrignoni