Wellness Heroes: Susan Hayden

What do an Ironman triathlete, a lettuce-loving garden expert, a competitive college co-ed and an advocate for healthy body image have in common? All are doing their part to improve the lives of individuals and families in the Baton Rouge area—and beyond. We talked to each of these inspiring leaders to learn more about what motivates them to get people moving, eating healthy and embracing their inner beauty.

If you’ve ever seen a 3-year-old tackle a triathlon with training wheels and floaties, you understand the pure joy that the Rocketkidz Foundation brings to Baton Rouge. Introducing children to physical fitness‚ and helping their families forge healthy lifestyles along the way is the goal of Susan Hayden and the foundation’s team. Hayden herself was a latecomer to the competitive fitness world but hasn’t looked back after tackling her first triathlon 12 years ago. Her new focus is on showing people of all ages that it’s never too late, or too early‚ to get healthy.

225: How did you first get involved with racing?
SH: As I watched my daughters at swim practice, I noticed an adult group would get in and swim after the kids were done. I joined Crawfish Aquatics masters shortly thereafter, even though I couldn’t even make it one length of the pool without stopping for air. The next year, my husband completed a triathlon, and I was hooked. I competed in the Abita man Triathlon in the summer of 2002, and the rest is a long list of fun adventures all the way up to, hopefully, my 11th Ironman this fall.

225: How did Rocketkidz Foundation get its start?
SH: Due in part to the growing obesity trend in our country, and knowing that kids were facing dwindling opportunities to stay active, in 2007 Pat Fellows swam 32 miles in the Gulf to kick off a nonprofit fund to promote opportunities and provide resources to counteract this trend. I was in the support boat and was already the race director for the Rocketkidz Triathlon. We partnered up and started searching for ways to achieve the mission reach beyond a kids’ event.

225: How have Rocketkidz events grown since the earliest days?
SH: What started as one kids’ triathlon has grown into eight events each year, plus clinics and resources to help families take steps to a healthier lifestyle. Childhood obesity is not simply a child’s problem—it is a family and community challenge. We realized we were missing an event for moms, and the Rocketchix triathlon was born, followed by Rocketkidz Rookies for ages 3 to 10. We picked up the Golden fliers 5 & 10 Miler running race, and in 2012, we created a halfIron-distance triathlon, River Roux Triathlon, and picked up one of the state’s oldest triathlons, the Louisiana Triathlon. Last fall, our calendar was completed by the Rocketkidz 5K, a family-focused event.

225: Tell us about how the organization has broadened its scope and how the new programs fit into your mission.
SH: An important change was receiving our 501(c)3 status in January 2013. This brought with it the chance to widely broaden our mission reach; we can nurture other initiatives that bolster our mission. We have supported many community health- and fitness-related programs, and we act as a parent foundation for two really special programs, Southern Smash [see page 16] and Tri-Us New Roads.

225: What are your future plans?
SH: We are very excited about the next three years. Short term, we’ve added a duathlon option to our Rocketchix series andadded a beginner wave to our open-water co-ed race at the Louisiana Triathlon. Weare also working on creating a program that we have long dreamt about; it is for kids and hopefully will have a plug-and-play component for use in schools, where physical education is becoming nonexistent.

225: Have you been surprised by how the foundation has been embraced by the community?
SH: Honestly, I have been very surprised by how passionate and positive the response has been to what we were trying to accomplish. It convinced me that the vast majority of people really do desire a healthier and more active lifestyle and often want to redefine themselves as athletes—at any age.

225: Can you share any memorable moments from Rocketkidz events?
SH: I am inspired daily by seeing others reach for a goal or positive change in their life…watching a mom cross the finish line with her kids by her side, another mom stop to nurse a new baby in transition, sisters hugging each other at the finish, dads and husbands cheering like crazy, a 3-year-old racer stopping to pick a flower. The list is long, and I’m grateful for it every day.

225: Why is this such an important cause for you?
SH: It is important to me because I lived it. I was a full-time engineer with two small kids and a husband, struggling to fight sedentary habits and disordered eating. I just wanted a way to be healthier that was fun and bolstered my family too. I want my children to know they can find a positive, fun way to be healthy among the challenges of schools and jobs and that they should always, always choose to try something that scares them a little.

Next on the foundation’s full schedule are the Rocketchix 1 race April 27, the Louisiana Triathlon May 10 and Rocketkidz Rookies June 7. For details, see rocketchix.com, louisianatri.com and rocketkidzfoundation.com.