COEUR d'ALENE - A 299-word essay won Richard Dance the opportunity to be the sponsored athlete for the 29th-annual Coeur d'Alene Triathlon, but much more than writing has gone into preparing for Saturday's event.

Dance, of Hayden, thought it was time to compete alongside his kids, an athletic bunch who he said can be difficult to keep up with.

"They're so active," he said. "I can either sit on the sidelines or do something with them, but to do something with them I have to be in darn good shape."

And the 62-year-old is feeling great. After months of training to swim, bike and run, he's ready for the triathlon.

When Dance got the news about winning the Coeur d'Alene Chamber of Commerce's essay contest on why he should be their sponsored athlete, he began blogging on www.cdatriathlon.blogspot.com to keep track of his journey. It would involve plenty of training for the 2013 Scenic Challenge Olympic Distance, a 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run.

But Dance's preparation for the Coeur d'Alene Triathlon hasn't happened without some tragedy. Since he won the contest, both of his parents passed away, his mother April 19 and his dad Aug. 3.

"Being in the physical shape has helped a lot with losing my mom and dad," he said. "The spiritual strength and the physical strength, those two combined have helped a lot." He said he feels that now his parents, who were elderly and wouldn't have been able to see the triathlon, will finally have the chance to watch him compete.

Also, last winter, Dance tore muscles in his left calf while skiing. The ski accident kept him from running on the road for two months.

"I was limping," he said. "I could hardly walk or do a darn thing."

But after using an AlterG antigravity treadmill and working alongside physical therapists and coaches, he is able to run, even in his socks.

Dance said he recently went for a 60-mile bike ride with some friends and wound up ahead of them. So he jumped off his bike, tore off his shoes and ran a mile and a half back on the trail to greet them.

"I not only want to run and feel the run," he said, "I'm in the best shape I can remember for decades."

Dance said the "huffing and puffing" stopped about three weeks ago, and now he just "glides."

One of Dance's trainers was Derek Garcia, the top local Ironman. Dance said Garcia's coaching was more than just telling him how to train.

"The best thing that coaches do, it's not the tips, it's the lessons they give you," he said. "It's the encouragement that you can do it. You just have to persist, you just have to keep going at it, then something will click."

Dance said running and biking have "clicked" for him, but "swimming, my goodness, that's still difficult." Rather than swim the Olympic distance, he will be swimming the sprint distance, which is 500 yards.

At the end of the day, Dance said the competition aspect of the triathlon isn't the main draw for him. It's the wonderful, inspirational people.

"If I could do anything to encourage others, I just want to be with them Saturday, not compete against them," he said.

The Coeur d'Alene Triathlon begins with a swim at 6:45 a.m. Saturday at the east end of the Coeur d'Alene City Park, followed by the bike along Coeur d'Alene Lake Drive and the run on the Centennial Trail. The event also features a duathlon and the Scenic Sprint. Info: www.cdatriathlon.com