Shaping up and ready to ride in kids' Tryathalon.

By MARTIN JOHNSTON

Christine Baber has grabbed the opportunity to get fit for the Auckland Tryathlon in March.

The 11-year-old South Aucklander has even given up her favourite food - KFC burgers and chips - to help her shape up.

She is one of four Randwick Park School pupils - among 60 children nationwide who were inactive or ate poorly - selected for special help in preparing for the Weet-Bix Kiwi Kids Tryathlon events.

Sanitarium Health Food, supported by the Hillary Commission, has arranged coaching for them and has provided advice on healthy eating.

The Herald is following Christine's progress.

Christine's mother, Jocelyn Baber, said they had not heard from Christine's coach, triathlete Nathan Richmond, since the start of the programme on December 11.

After the Herald yesterday called Sanitarium's public relations consultants, Porter Novelli, Mrs Baber was contacted by the consultants to arrange a training session for the Randwick Park School foursome today.

Richmond told the Herald he had been busy competing himself, that the plan was always to meet the children this week, that they had not asked for his help since the start, and that Sanitarium had given all participants an eight-week training plan.

Christine said last month she hoped to lose some weight because she was taunted at school about her size.

Yesterday, she said she was still the same weight, 63.5kg, despite eating less junk food and exercising more.

But she is enthusiastic about the training, and now believes the Tryathlon is about more than losing weight.

She is feeling fit and she likes it.

Every day she runs and cycles and twice a week she swims 200m, the Tryathlon distance for her age, in a pool.

She has done a couple of Tryathlon-style swims at the beach and admits this is her biggest concern:

"Because I might drink the sea water and I will get sick."

All those packets of Weet-Bix in the cupboard are a worry too - three tokens were required with the entry payment.

"I'm sick of eating it. I eat porridge because it's nice and wet and it's got milk and one teaspoon of sugar."