Lakewood Ranch 8-year-old with autism wins national triathlon title

Charles Westrip, a retired Army major who lives with his wife and four children in Country Meadows, has been through war.

He understands difficult times.

But he was ready to quit after dozens of attempts to teach his then 4-year-old, Aaron, how to ride a bike.

Aaron, who had been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder as a 4-year-old, couldn't figure out the balance part of the equation. His older sister, Lizzy, and brother, Charlie, would stand on either side of the bike, steadying their brother until he got going. Then they would let him go, and ... crash.

It was driving the father, a 28-year Army veteran, a little bonkers because, after all, Aaron had already shown an uncanny ability to run, setting world records for a 3-year-old running a 5K (39:03) and a 4-year-old running a 5K (29:15) as recorded by the Association of Road Racing Statisticians.

The dad was frustrated. He knew children with autism can take much longer to learn skills that their peers ace in no time at all.

"So this one time he fell and hurt himself," Charles Westrip said. "He went straight into the curb. It's hard for a dad to see his 4-year-old bleeding from the stomach, the shoulder. I was going to quit. I was through war multiple times (Iraq, and Bosnia and Herzegovina) and with this I was at my end."

A day later, though, Aaron Westrip proved he wasn't at his end. He went back out to ride his bike.

"He broke his body and he wouldn't quit," Charles Westrip said. "He had gone through one bike after he broke it in half. But there he was, still with blood on his cuts, his cheeks, his arm, and he said, 'I am ready to try again.'

"Finally, he got it. I admired his patience for not giving up. Those are special moments. I was pretending (the autism) wasn't happening and for a while, I was ignoring it. He showed determination that made me proud."

As Aaron Westrip continued his running, the distances stretched out, and eventually he veered toward the triathlon, which matches competitors' skills in running, biking and swimming.

The 8-year-old now dominates his age-group peers in the biking portion.

"He's better at it than anything else," his father said with admiration.

His talent was on display July 31 at the Youth and Junior (ages 7-19) National Championship at Voice of America MetroPark in the West Chester Township of Ohio. He finished first (22:00) in the 8-year-old division race that consisted of a 100-meter open water swim, a 5K bike ride and a 1K run. He was coming off a victory at the Southeastern Triathlon championship in Sebring a few months before.

He had trained by running and biking his neighborhood and by lap swimming at the Lakewood Ranch YMCA. 

"I want to cry sometimes he is so incredible," the elder Westrip said.

Four years ago, he mostly was unsure about the future. With his wife Holly, they listened to doctors diagnose Aaron with autism, and they weren't sure what to expect, and whether they would have triumphant days.

"At first you wonder if it is going to change your life," Holly Westrip said. "Will he be learning disabled? But his teachers say he is learning at a good rate. With testing now, that remains to be seen.

"The social aspect is a big thing, too. He was having trouble socializing with his peers and adults. Having our other kids helps, because he has to socialize with them. And we could treat him special, but we try to go about our business and not coddle him."

Charles Westrip, an avid runner, said he tries not to be a pushy parent, but he never limited Aaron when he began to follow in the literal footsteps of his older siblings, who took to running at an early age as well.  Lizzy was only 5 when she wanted to join her father during his 3- to 5-mile daily runs.

They were living in Georgia at the time and Westrip would run along a half mile track that allowed him to keep an eye on his daughter when she would fall behind. Holly would push then toddler Charlie in a stroller.

It wasn't long before both Lizzy and Charlie were racing, and they loved it.

Since Charles Westrip said he is no expert in terms of running, their two oldest children picked up coaching from a local track team. They began winning races.

"I never have let any of them complain about falling down, and they never have complained too much while running. Running is about getting past that point (of pain)."

Lizzy eventually wanted to run a marathon on her 8th birthday and the Westrips went to pediatricians to determine if it was safe. They were told it was.

"We've done a lot of research," Charles Westrip said. "It shows there isn't a large correlation with long term running and severe injuries."

As the older siblings have gotten older, their interests have spread to other sports as well, so their running has decreased. But Aaron Westrip seems headed toward bigger goals.

"I think the running for all of them has shown hard work pays off," Charles Westrip said. "They've learned that failure is OK, too."

While 5-year-old Michael hasn't decided where his interests lie, the other Westrip children all still compete in races at times. Charlie was fourth in the 8-year-old age group in 2018 at the triathlon nationals.

"The key is to do it with a festival," Michael Westrip said. "You want ice cream and people juggling. We don't go just to run."

Aaron's success in races has helped him socially.

"He does get bullied, because people are like that," Charles Westrip said. "But the kids respect him. He has learned he can earn social respect. And he is a story of what can be accomplished regardless of life’s challenges."

His siblings root for him as well.

"Aaron trains hard," Charlie said. "He deserves to be a national champ."

As far as Aaron goes, he looks forward to the next big race, and proving his ability.

"I like biking the best," he said. "And I like at the end when everyone is cheering for me."