WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — Hundreds of athletes swam, biked and ran in the Patriots Triathlon in Williamsburg this weekend.
Kinetic Multisports Owner and Race Director Greg Hawkins said the Patriots Triathlon has been in Williamsburg since 2007.
"We had kids as young as nine years old racing today and then we had a 90 year old," he said.
Ernie Schillinger is 90 years old and one week to be exact.
This is the 6th time he's done the triathlon. He says he never lets his age slow him down.
"I was working, I didn't have time to do this sort of thing," Schillinger said. "I'm a physician, retired - osteopathic; I practiced in Michigan. So when I retired, I started competition. Before that I did it for exercise, for health."
Hawkins said this end-of-season race is also about giving back to the community.
"Every year we raise money for... Special Operations Warrior Foundation and the Chesapeake Bay Foundation," Hawkins said. "Without the guys who keep our country safe, we wouldn't be here; And without clean water to swim in, we couldn't do what we do."
And with COVID cases back on the rise, it's easy to social distance out on the course.
"It's awesome. It's an outdoor event, so super low risk for COVID," Hawkins said.
For athletes like Pippin Robison, it's a good way to stay active while trying different things.
"I like how diverse it is - the swim and the bike and the run," she said. "They're all so fun and they're all so different. I get bored easily, so it's nice to be able to focus on different things."