Scouts Go the Extra Mile With the Multisport Merit Badge
David Navarro shows off his first-place medal from the Long Beach Area Council’s inaugural triathlon.
Waiting in line to race in a triathlon, questions swirled through several Scouts’ minds.
“Am I ready for this?”
“Will I fall off my bicycle?”
“Do I have what it takes to finish?”
Madison Mackey (left) and Erisha Lamba run in the Monster Triathlon.
Cheering family members holding homemade signs helped ease their nerves. So did the whimsical fairies and the guy dressed as a banana racing alongside them.
Last year, Troop 848 of Coppell, Texas, raced in the Monster Triathlon, a Halloween-themed challenge in which the girls ran 3 miles, cycled 14.3 miles and swam 300 meters (nearly 1,000 feet). The event also counted toward the Multisport merit badge.
Trevor Griffen completes the swimming portion of the Long Beach Area Council’s inaugural triathlon.
COMPETING TOGETHER
Multisport is an athletic competition featuring a combination of two or more sports. The Multisport merit badge, sponsored by Eagle Scout and multisport athlete Dave Alexander, challenges Scouts to choose from the sports of swimming, biking and running, often called a triathlon.
Although the Scouts trained and ate healthy for weeks, the girls were still nervous on race day. But facing the challenge together kept them going.
“Having other people with you motivates you,” says Christina Stephens, 13, a Second Class Scout.
Finishing the triathlon left them exhausted but proud — and not just because they all got medals.
“It was really worth it to do with all of my friends,” says Life Scout Keya Ramalingam, 14.
Jeffrey Lai and Jonathan Tran get ready for the cycling leg of the Long Beach race.
RUN YOUR OWN RACE
To earn their Multisport merit badge, Troop 1921 of Cypress, Texas, put on their own triathlon. The Scouts planned and organized the event themselves. Then they trained in their grandparents’ pools, on school tracks and in empty cul-de-sacs.
But this merit badge isn’t all about exercise. You also need to know first aid, the importance of healthy habits and safety rules. Troop 1921 played a fun Jeopardy-like game to review all of that. Then they had a neighborhood race.
“This was really fun,” says Emma Liu, 12, a First Class Scout. “It’s a different experience.”
Kaiya Parker competes in Troop 1921’s multisport race.
COUNCIL CHALLENGE
Councils also host multisport events, like one last year organized by the Long Beach Area Council in California. First, about 30 Scouts from different units jumped into the bay and swam to a marker and back, totaling 100 meters (about the length of a football field).
“It made my mouth salty for the rest of the day,” says Star Scout David Navarro, 14, from Troop 251 of Eastvale, Calif.
Scouts swim in the Long Beach event.
Then they pedaled for 3 kilometers (about 2 miles) before getting off and running just over a half-mile to the finish line.
“The most fun part was crossing the finish line and realizing I had completed something that once seemed intimidating,” says Dominic Saab, 17, a Star Scout from Troop 441 of Downey, Calif.
Madison Mackey, Nirvana Joshi and Erisha Lamba ride in the Monster Triathlon.
No matter how you complete the Multisport merit badge, you’ll find out how satisfying it feels when your hard work pays off.
“Everyone should earn this merit badge,” says Eagle Scout Jenna Mielke, 17, with Troop 371 of Bellflower, Calif. “Don’t be afraid to test your limits.”
Scouts from Troop 848 complete the Monster Triathlon.
Photos courtesy of Troop 1921, Caroline Stephens, Kris Ramalingam, Joni Mackey and the Long Beach Area Council
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