A Seventh-day Adventist health food company in Australia and two national sporting organizations have teamed up to encourage children to embrace an active, healthy lifestyle and to become involved in the sport of triathlon. The “Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids Tryathlon” series has joined forces with Triathlon Australia and the Australian Sports Commission in a three-year agreement that will inject an extra $A1 million into the project.

“We are delighted with the opportunity to join with Triathlon Australia and the Australian Sports Commission to make the popular Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids Tryathlon series a national event,” says Julie Praestiin, Sanitarium Health Food Company’s communication and events manager. “This financial partnership and commitment of support means we can now provide even greater opportunities for kids to learn more about fitness and healthy lifestyle choices.”

“The agreement brings together a highly reputable company with a well-organized national sporting organization and will be a breakthrough in Australia in terms of opportunities for young participants and families,” says Sue Baker-Finch, general manager for sport development at the Australian Sports Commission.

The national executive officer for Triathlon Australia, Tim Wilson, says members of the organization will be visiting schools to help kids learn about the sport of triathlon and how to prepare for the Sanitarium Weet-Bix Kids Tryathlon event.

Last year more than 3,000 children were involved in triathlons in Australia. This year that number is expected to grow to almost 10,000.