Cam Mancuso is a ninth grader at Wallenpaupack Area High School and took first place in the Iron Man category in his age bracket with a time of 1:17.50, but has his eye on possibly making the 2012 Olympic Team in the Madison, a two-person bike race, and in the Pursuit. Both of these events are well known in the world of cycling, and both of these demand extreme dedication to training and hours on the bike.

“I’m doing about 300 to 400 miles a week (on the bike); it’s about a 100 less than the pros do every week. I’m on the bike from an hour and a half to four hours everyday after school and on the weekend,” said Mancuso.

That time spent on the bike definitely gave Mancuso a bit of an edge over the other competitors in the Triathlon on Friday but it was a different race as the kind he normally takes part in. On the bike his feet never touch the ground, but in running they are constantly pounding the gravel. “The running and the kayaking took quite a lot out of me today. Running is the hardest thing to do, it really wears you down,” he added.

Being a world-class biker has led Mancuso to destinations across the globe that many only dream about visiting at some point in their life. Besides training in Argentina he is hoping to make a trip to Belgium for a training camp.

“I’m going for Nationals in August and I’m training real hard right now, trying to get a shot on some of the big teams. I’m going to Kentucky in a few weeks to try to qualify for the Belgium National Camp. Then I fly out to California to prepare for Nationals,” said Mancuso.

After finishing first in his division in the Triathlon Mancuso added, “It was a lot of fun. It was tough and I struggled at points.”