Going the extra mile

McLane students commit to triathlon, and the community commits to them.

Published online on Tuesday, May. 13, 2008

Sometimes, the best stories come from the most unlikely places.

Last spring, a tip came into the newsroom about a young math teacher and water polo coach at McLane High who was using the sport of triathlon (run, bike, swim) to shape up the minds and bodies of his students.

A triathlon club at McLane High, one of Fresno's poorest schools? This, I had to see.

After speaking with Brandon Dorman by phone, I accepted an invitation to attend one of the team's 6:30 a.m. workouts. They did push-ups, wind sprints and lunges. They swam laps in the school's outdated pool. To build leg strength, they took turns pushing Dorman's Toyota Corolla around campus.

It was all pretty impressive. Even better was hearing Dorman describe how club members' grades, attendance and overall attitude had markedly improved since taking up a sport few of them had ever heard of. So I wrote the story.

"Within 24 hours, I must've gotten two dozen e-mails offering encouragement and support," Dorman said.

"I was at the gym and some guy turned to me and said, 'Are you Brandon Dorman?' I said, 'Yeah.' He's like, 'I read your article this morning. Great job and keep it up over there.' "

Twelve months later, Fresno's unlikeliest triathlon club is still going strong.

While some original members dropped out for various reasons, more have taken their places. And thanks to generous support from both individuals and businesses, the club has sufficient equipment and funding.

"Brandon came into the store one day with this beat-up bike and told us what he was up to," said Ben Medrano, owner of Rubber Soul Bicycles. "Helping him out was a pretty easy decision."

In addition to several bikes, donations of wetsuits and running shoes have also come out of the woodwork. With help from Lt. Mike Doyle, former director of the Fresno Police Activities League, Dorman secured a $3,000 grant from the Fresno Regional Foundation and has used the money to cover race entrance fees and travel expenses.

The club, now called the Fresno PAL Triathlon Team, even has its own mode of transportation thanks to a local veterinarian, who gave Dorman a great deal on a 1993 Chevy Suburban. Dorman uses the vehicle to drive his athletes to out-of-town events and weekly swim practice with the Fresno State triathlon club.

"The community has been unbelievably supportive," Dorman said. "Some guy e-mailed me out of the blue and asked for my kids' shoe sizes. I e-mailed him back and he went over to Big 5 and bought like 12 pairs of shoes.

"It was awesome. And they've all been worn through by now, too."

To watch the team in action, I attended last month's Sierra Kids Triathlon at Buchanan High (which, by the way, is a great event). While most of the competition had fancier equipment, no one was having more fun than the kids from McLane.

After the race, Julio Hernandez, stepfather of McLane sophomore and original team member Albert Noyes, marveled at the changes he's seen in his son.

"When he joined the team, both his mother and I thought it would be one of those passing fancies," Hernandez said. "But he's stuck with it. I'm surprised how fast and how far he's excelled."

When I first met Noyes, he came across as a smart aleck who seemed an unlikely candidate for a demanding sport like triathlon. I was told he had poor grades and an equally poor attitude. He implied to me his primary motivation for taking up triathlon was to become more physically attractive to the ladies.

One year later, it's like talking to a different person. Looking me right in the eye, Noyes spoke with obvious pride about his improved grades and how he's thinking about attending college.

"Every time I cross a finish line, I feel like I've accomplished something," Noyes said.

Both Hernandez and Doyle, the Fresno police officer who helped Dorman get the club off the ground, are effusive in their praise of the 24-year-old teacher/coach.

"Let's be honest: Most of these kids come from very hard backgrounds, and he's just turned them around," Doyle said. "These kids are going to remember Brandon for the rest of their lives."

Added Hernandez: "I've never seen a coach like him."

A devout Christian who while a student at Fresno Pacific founded a program that teaches computer skills to senior citizens, Dorman insisted on deflecting most of the credit.

"When I see my students swimming, biking and running -- all in donated or fund-raised gear -- that's the only gratitude I need," he said.

Dorman is always on the lookout for new donations. You can reach him at brandon.dorman@gmail.com.

Believe me, it'll go to a worthy cause.