Teens of Bay Area

It’s 7 sharp on a summer day, but he’s already biking his way to a community pool, chasing a new record. Sure, summer means a break for academics — but to Jason Chu, a senior at Lynbrook High School, it means a start to his training for the upcoming Santa Cruz Triathlon. Tomorrow, he’ll do it all again… and so will he on the day after that…and-

For 3 months straight, this is how Jason trained. Yes, he’s had rough mornings too, but pushing through them earned him 10th at the triathlon’s 16 – 19 age group. Despite this success, his journey surprisingly never began with road biking… or swimming… or running. 

“When I was younger, I went camping with my parents and went on a lot of trail riding,” Jason said. “Because of that I started getting used to the mountain bike.” 

But after the pandemic hit, the occasional family camp-outs fell apart. And so did his opportunities to mountain bike.

“So then my dad bought us road bikes, and my first reaction was, ‘wow, the tires are really thin, and the bike weights… basically nothing,’” Jason said. “It was very shocking to me, but also kind of cool.”

It wasn’t long before he started competing against his dad regularly, to see who could set the faster time around his old neighborhood in Fremont. By the time he moved to Cupertino though, he already fell in love with it. Instantly, he looked for places to bike at, eyeing down Stevens Creek Reservoir. Now, it’s his everyday biking location. 

“For me, it’s just the sense of achievement,” Jason said. “Biking has been a testament, and it has helped me prove that I’m able to do certain activities that challenge me mentally and physically.”

Though, it’s not just this that continues to motivate Jason. It’s also the view at the top of the hills he bikes at. More than that, biking has meant that Jason has continuously explored different paths… and will continue doing so. Sometimes, he’ll bring a camera just to capture that new view. 

So what inspired him to do his first triathlon his freshman year of high school? 

“I saw it through the newsletter, and I had thought that it was pretty interesting because at the time I could swim and run… decently,” Jason said. “But I liked biking. So I thought I might as well challenge myself over the summer.”

Since, he’s placed 2nd at the Silicon Valley Kids Triathlon and competed in aquathlons as well. Jason credits his dad for his achievements. 

“I’m most thankful for my dad, who drives me everywhere,” Jason said. “He also drove me to Santa Cruz while I was still sleeping in the car. He also helps me maintain the bike — we’d spend hours in the garage working on it and he always gives me advice.”

One day, Jason dreams of doing a century mile bike. But for now, it’s too time consuming — so he plans to just stick with triathlons.

“My dad would say there’s no need to be aggressive, because there’s always someone there who’s aiming, who’s willing to aim higher than you always,” Jason said. “Still for me, it’s more about completing an event where I feel comfortable, that I can do it at my own pace, but still improve.”