Local Triathlete Joins Team USA

BALLSTON SPA — The relentless training schedule, countless miles, and unwavering dedication to this sport has no doubt paid off for Justin Layer, who had a 5th place finish at the United States Triathlon National Championships this month. He is now a member of Team USA and has qualified to compete at the Olympic Distance Triathlon World Championships to be held next year in Abu Dhabi. 

Layer found the sport of Olympic Triathlon, which includes a .93-mile swim, a 24.8-mile bike ride, and a 6.2-mile run, through the encouragement of his family. His success as a swimmer and cross-country runner for Ballston Spa High School, combined with his interest in biking, were the perfect ingredients for a successful triathlete. 

And since, Layer has been developing his training program; getting up at 5 a.m. to train before going to school. When COVID impacted public pool availability, he put on a wetsuit and trained in his family pool. He hired a coach this year to help him achieve his dream of qualifying for the
world championships. 

“It just shows that hard work really does pay off. Sometimes it takes a while, but commitment will make it happen,” said Layer, when asked what his success at Nationals meant to him. “It was tough to stay focused after months of training alone, but the little wins in each training segment were enough to keep me going. And to compete with 6,000 other triathletes in Milwaukee earlier this month was amazing, it made it all worth it,” 

Layer had an opportunity to compete at the Long-Distance Triathlon National Championships next month but has decided to compete locally at the Lake George Triathlon instead. So, if you are in the area on Sept. 5, help cheer on a new member of Team USA!