About Sara...
2010 has been a great year for
Sara McLarty's career as a professional triathlete
Sara lives and trains in Clermont, Florida and is coached by Alec Rukosuev and Misty Becerra at the National Training Center. After recovering from a couple of injuries, Sara was back at the races this year! The highlight of the season was capturing the Lifetime Fitness Race to the Toyota Cup Series. It came down to the final race of the series in Rockwall, Texas where Sara crossed the finish line 41 seconds and one place in front of Rebecca Wassner to capture the Toyota Cup, a Toyota Prius, and a large cash prize!
As a member of the McLarty family, Sara was introduced to sports at a young age. She joined the local YMCA swim team at four years old and competed in her first triathlon at seven years old. She took to both sports with a passion and won numerous awards as a youthful competitor—the most indicative of her future being 4-time IronKids Triathlon National Champion from 1993-96.
In 1996, she entered DeLand High and immediately became the secret weapon of the swimming, cross country, and track teams. Sara won a state title in the 200-yard Individual Medley (IM) in her final Florida High School State Competition. At about the same time, she announced her intention to sign with the Lady Gators Swim and Dive Team coached by Gregg Troy at the University of Florida.
From 2000 to 2004 Sara racked up 15 NCAA All-American awards, four individual SEC Conference titles, one SEC Team Championship, and was the 2004 NCAA Florida Woman of the Year. She graduated from UF with honors in December of 2004, earning a degree in Telecommunications from the College of Journalism.
The conclusion of Sara’s collegiate swim career coincided with the 2004 USA Olympic Team Trials where she finished fourth in the 400-meter freestyle. Although fourth place does not qualify for the Olympic Team, it did qualify Sara for two swimming World Championships where she won a silver medal at the SCM World Championships in the 400m free, and a bronze medal at Open Water World Champs in the 5-kilometer open water swim.
After competing in a few swimming World Cup events in New Jersey, South Africa, and Mexico, Sara decided it was time to ‘go pro’ in the sport of triathlon. The next step being to earn a living doing what she loves and does so well. The thin air of Colorado appeared to be a breeding ground for top American triathletes and inspired Sara to join the resident program at the Olympic Training Center. Sara began her pro career with non-drafting races, small Continental Cups, and the Under-23 World Championships in 2005. A few good finishes at those races earned her the USA Triathlon “Rookie of the Year” award.
Moving to the World Cup venue in 2006, Sara began with a record setting 16:30 for the 1500 meter swim at the Japan World Cup. The year included three Top-3 finishes at ITU Continental Cups (including 2nd place at the USA Elite National Championships), and three Top-20 finishes at World Cups. She continued to compete at non-drafting races and recorded a 3rd place at the Escape from Alcatraz that generated more than 15-minutes of National TV air-time.
Sara's triathlon season in 2007 was a flurry of achievements including multiple Top-10 finishes at World Cups, qualifying for and finishing 10th at the Pan American Games in Rio, and posting fast 10K run times. Unfortunately, the end of the season and most of 2008 was affected by a painful foot injury that prevented Sara from training or racing to her fullest potential through 2009.
And what are some of Sara's other interests? In her own words...
"Outside the competitive world of triathlon, I have a passion to introduce the triathlon lifestyle to other athletes. I am starting my third year as the Master's Swim and Triathlon Coach at the National Training Center. One of the highlights of my year is helping people improve their swim technique and efficiency for next year's races. I’m also using my Journalism degree to write for Triathlete-Competitor, and USA Triathlon Life magazines. I look forward to communicating my passion for swimming and triathlon in each publication.”
CertificationsUSA Triathlon – Pro/Elite |
2010 Goals
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University of Florida Swimming Biography
