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Thanks to the Nike athletic empire, I have my inspiration for Sunday’s Wilkes-Barre Triathlon.

It’s not a nice pair of running shoes or any other Nike equipment or apparel. In fact, the only Nike products I currently own are few Penn State shirts and a hat or two.

But thanks to the good people who brought us $250 Air Jordans, not only do I have my inspiration, I have a number to shoot for too.

If you’ve been watching the Olympics the past two weeks, you’ve certainly been introduced to Sister Madonna Buder.

In addition to being a nun, Buder is a triathlete. A fact I find quite surprising based on my experiences with nuns through 12 years of Catholic grade school and high school.

I can’t imagine any of the nuns that taught me at St. Nick’s/St. Mary’s Elementary School or Bishop Hoban High School diving into Harveys Lake on Sunday morning.

But Buder isn’t just a Catholic nun. She’s also 86 years old.

To put that in prospective, when I was born she was already 36 years old, and she’s still completing triathlons now.

And Buder is every bit as good at it as I am … probably, truth be told, quite a bit better. I realize that isn’t saying much, but I did mention she’s an 86-year-old nun, didn’t I?

Buder has completed an Ironman Triathlon as recently as May of last year, completing Ochsner Ironam 70.3 Triathlon in New Orleans in 8 hours, 34 minutes and 8 seconds.

I finished my last Ironman 70.3 in … OK. I have never finished an Ironman triathlon of any sort. What’s more, I have no intention of ever trying … EVER.

Certainly, the good sister comes from the deep end of the gene pool and may be getting a little heavenly help.

But if Buder can complete a triathlon — she’s finished three since late April — I really don’t have any kind of excuse for not reaching my year-long goal of finishing the Olympic distance version of the Wilkes-Barre Triathlon.

The Wilkes-Barre race — with it’s 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 11K run — is slightly longer than the Strive Olympic Triathlon I finished just a few weeks ago, and I expect a bit hillier.

We all know I finished next to last in that event.

But, come Sunday morning, I will take my inspiration from Sister Buder, who like myself didn’t start competing in triathlons until she was 48. I’m sure I will think of her several times while I fight to get through the swim, and, of course, as I struggle with the seven-mile run.

And if I don’t manage to beat her time from her last triathlon, 4:07:03, I will make a donation to the Sisters of Christian Community, Buder’s order.

Of course, if the good sister wants even more competition, I would be more than glad to pay her entrance fee into next year’s Wilkes-Barre Triathlon.

After all, I would consider it an honor to race in the same event as her.

Quite simply put, the woman is amazing.

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Triathlon Tales

By Joe Soprano

Joe Soprano is the Times Leader’s assistant news editor. Reach him at 570-829-7242 or on Twitter @TLnews.