Cindy Faust stood shoulder-to-shoulder with women from all over the country before the start of the 2018 USA Triathlon Aquabike National Championship on Nov. 11 in Miami. It is a daunting task for any athlete, but especially for an athlete that is running in her own race.

“I like the working out part of it and pushing myself,” she said of aquabiking. “Not so much the competition.”

She may not like competing, but she sure is good at it. The 59-year-old Orefield resident finished the 1.2 mile swim in 55 minutes and three seconds. She completed the 56-mile biking jaunt in three hours and 27 minutes. Cindy’s overall time of 4:25.49 was good enough for 13th place in her age bracket and qualified her to compete as a member of Team USA in the 2019 ITU Aquabike World Championship in Pontevedra, Spain next spring.

“I’m just really excited for the opportunity,” she said. “I would never have thought this would happen.”

Faust’s journey as a triathlete began somewhat by accident. Her husband, Barry, began training for running events as his career as a law enforcement officer in South Whitehall Township was ending. Cindy decided to begin training and eventually the couple became mentally and physically strong enough to participate in the Allentown half marathon. They liked it so much they graduated to competing in marathons, including the New York Marathon and others throughout the United States. Later, the duo set and accomplished a new goal of competing in triathlons.

Cindy takes her training seriously. She enjoys miles and miles of biking and lap swimming. The feeling of being in supreme cardiovascular and physical conditioning spurs her on.

“I enjoy preparing for these events,” she said.

Competing in an individual sport doesn’t mean the Fausts aren’t on a team. During races they serve as representatives of Team BlueLine, a non-profit organization that raises funds for families of police officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty. Members raise donations as they compete in marathons, triathlons, cycling races and trail runs. They also dedicate their races to cancer victims and survivors.

“I’m so happy that I can support such a good cause,” she said.

Cindy Faust said she will train diligently for the world championship event in Spain and believes she has more competitions in her future.

“As long as I can continue to do it, I will,” Faust said.