One of Coronado’s young athletes has ranked among the best in the country.
Kailani Miante qualified as an All-American Youth Triathlete for 2024. To do so, the 10-year-old had to complete three triathlons in the top 10% of her age group.
“I tell myself that if I want to be the best I can be, I need to train almost every day,” she said. “I also want to beat my previous time each race. I inspire myself to keep going by saying in my head, ‘You got this!'”
Her rescue dog, Luna, motivates her as they sprint together along the beach. The duo came in first in this year’s Ruff Run 5k race to support the Pacific Animal Welfare Society (PAWS) of Coronado.
In fact, her whole family has helped her train.
“Kailani’s races brought us closer together as a family, because we all took turns helping her train,” said Darcy Miante, Kailani’s mother. “Her sister, Makena, a Rogue 619 water polo player, would swim with her in the (San Diego) Bay as I watched from the shore. I would run a few times a week with her, and my husband would bike or swim with her on the weekends. Together, we would cheer her on at races.”
Darcy said she was a bit caught off guard when her young daughter said she wanted to compete in triathlons.
Kailani said she grew interested in triathlons after noticing she was fast in soccer, enjoyed catching people in water polo, and liked riding her bike to school. Why not combine the three?
So, instead of dropping their daughter off at soccer practice, Kailani’s parents helped her develop a triathlon training schedule. They’re an active family, Darcy said, so the interest was not unusual, but she and her husband told her that if she wanted to compete, she would nee to be serious about it. Like any sport, she said, once you sign up, you need to train.
In May 2024, Kailani came in fourth in her age group of 11-15-year-olds at the Spring Sprint Triathlon. Although she’s still 10, age ranges are determined by an athlete’s age on Dec. 31 of that calendar year. Kailani turns 11 in December.
In August, she came in first in her age group (11-12) in the Chula Vista Challenge Triathlon, with an All-American time of 47:48.
In October, she came in second in her age group (11-12) in the Mission Bay Triathlon.
“Kailani has a shy demeanor at school, with a great sense of humor,” her mother, Darcy, said. “(She) excels at making her friends and family laugh. While racing, however, Kailani is determined and bold. Driven and competitive, she finishes races sprinting to the end.”
Ranking as an All-American Youth Triathlete was unexpected for Kailani, but it also showed her that her training paid off.
“It surprised me, because I didn’t know I was that fast,” she said. “It makes me so proud. It’s really cool to know that I am fast – not just in San Diego, but in the whole U.S., too.”
Kailani attends Silver Strand Elementary School, where she is a member of Anchored for Life, helps with the flag detail, and works with younger students as a Kinder Buddy. At home, she’s often making her family laugh, reading, listening to music and playing with her dog.
“We couldn’t be more proud of the strong young lady she is growing up to be,” her mother said.
It took a lot of training to reach this point, but Kailani said tenacity is key.
“Never give up,” she said. “Don’t ever think you’re not good enough. You have to practice, and don’t just give up on your goals when it’s hard.”
