Triathlete Makes Her Mark Down Under

As the youngest of eight children, Michelle Palmisano grew up in a competitive environment that helped her become one of the most prolific student-athletes in Ventura County sports history.

Now, the Ventura native who finished fourth in her age group in April’s Triathlon World Championships in Perth, Australia, is shooting for the 2004 Olympics.

“It was my first time at a world competition, and it was an amazing experience,” said Palmisano, 26, who first started training for the triathlon two years ago. Last September, she took third place in the 25-29 age group at the USA Triathlon Championships in St. Joseph, Mo., which qualified her for the 50-member U.S. team.

The standard triathlon course begins with a 1.5-kilometer swim, followed by a 40-kilometer bicycle race and finishing with a 10-kilometer run.

Palmisano, who won 12 varsity letters in four different sports at Thousand Oaks High, stays in shape with workouts nearly every day. She said that the biggest challenge has been to adapt her skills for the various triathlon events.

At the World Triathlon Championships, Palmisano finished fourth in the women’s 25-29 age group, and was ninth overall among women. She said with the triathlon becoming an Olympic sport for the first time this year, the Australian hosts were gracious and eager to make a good impression.

The top-four finish qualified Palmisano as a professional triathlete. She hopes to continue training, with an eye toward competing in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.