From the crease to the finish line: Owen Swanbon takes on Boston Triathlon

Courtesy of Brent Doscher / BOSTON TRIATHLON

By Izabela Gage

Sports Editor

When the summer heat starts to rise and the rink doors are shut, many college hockey players take time to rest, recover, and even sneak in a few rounds of golf. 

But for Owen Swanbon, a goaltender on the men’s ice hockey team, the off-season looked a little different this year. 

It involved preparing to swim through Dorchester Bay, bike along William Day Boulevard, and run in the August sun from Moakley Park to Carson Beach.

This past summer, Swanbon competed in the Boston Triathlon, a challenging endurance event.

Swanbon said this was his first official USA-sanctioned triathlon, though he has completed a few practice triathlons before.

He competed in the sprint triathlon, which is a standard, entry-level multi-sport race involving a 750-meter swim, a 12.4-mile bike ride, and a 3.1-mile run, according to the Boston Triathlon website.

Swanbon finished 20th out of 30 in the male 20-24 age group, with a swim time of 20:03, a bike time of 34:39, and a run time of 31:14. 

He said his dad had participated in a lot of triathlons, and he wanted to follow in his footsteps.

Swanbon said he watched his father compete in events like the Cohasset Triathlon as a kid, which planted the early seeds of ambition.

“What stuck out to me was the community aspect of it. There are a lot of people there - everybody mingling and talking about the race. It felt good to be at a community event,” Swanbon said.

He said, “The conditioning aspect of it is really good for hockey, so it was kind of part of my summer training and also a fun thing that I could do as well.”

Head Coach Michael Bailey said he wasn’t surprised to hear about Swanbon’s summer accomplishment. 

Bailey said, “I thought it was impressive, as a triathlon is a huge undertaking.

“I absolutely support Owen with this endeavor. There was never a doubt he would be up for the challenge,” he added.

For someone used to standing in the crease during high-pressure hockey games, mental strength is nothing new. Swanbon said, “There were times when I was like, ‘All right, you have to dig in here and just get through it.’”

Captain Jake Barcelou, a senior, said, “Owen is a very hard-working kid, both on and off the ice. I always see him in the gym, stretching, and taking good care of his body away from the rink. 

“Owen competing in a triathlon during the off-season shows that he is a very committed athlete who loves to challenge himself,” he added. 

Swanbon said the training wasn’t entirely new to him, as there were overlaps with hockey, especially in terms of endurance and structure. “I would say the biggest difference is in the swimming. The breathing is a lot different because it’s very specific, with short rests at once.”

But he said his usual role as a goalie required a shift in approach. “I don’t train specifically for distance as much as short sprinting or short bursts of energy, so training for a longer race was probably the biggest difference.”

Bailey said, “Owen takes pride in his training and is always ready to go when the season kicks off. 

“He works so hard. I don’t really see him having to adapt his training routine too much from the norm to be triathlon-ready,” he added.

Swanbon said his biggest focus was being consistent every day. “Trying to stack days on top of each other and trying not to fall out of my consistent training plan, and then I used the triathlon as another step in that.

“Obviously, it’s hard in the summer when you have different things going on, but just trying to do something every day to help yourself get 1% better - that was the mindset that I had,” he added.

Bailey said when he recently saw Swanbon, he appeared “to be in the best shape since I have known him. During our recent preseason testing day, he improved his mile time, push-ups, and sit-ups from last season’s numbers.”

Barcelou said the triathlon isn’t just about physical conditioning - it’s “a mental grind, just like playing goalie in ice hockey.”

Swanbon said, “I haven’t done training like that before, and so I didn’t know how tough it would really be.”

Bailey said, “Owen’s character and dedication to strength and fitness have always been off the charts. It just shows me that he continues to be dedicated and focused on his conditioning, which will allow him to have a positive impact on our hockey team.”

Bailey said he believes that the experience will carry over into the hockey season, especially in moments when grit matters most. 

“All the training and hard work put into being ready for the race, along with the confidence you have in yourself to take on such a huge challenge, translates both on and off the ice,” he added.

Swanbon said the swimming portion of the triathlon was the toughest because it was the longest swim he had ever completed. “But once I was in the thick of it … it got a lot easier, but it’s definitely a lot harder than it looks.”

Bailey said, “I believe competing in a triathlon will be something Owen can draw from throughout the season when fatigue and adversity set in and he needs to work through it to help the team achieve their goals.”

Swanbon said crossing the finish line “felt really good. It was coming around the corner to finish,” realizing, “‘I did it.’ I can say that I did the triathlon.”

He said he is already looking ahead to more. “It’s so much fun, and it’s very rewarding, so I would definitely like to do it again.”

Swanbon said he has gotten some teammates interested in undertaking a triathlon with him.

Bailey said, “Owen is the prototypical student-athlete who absolutely sets the tone for our team or any team at FSU. He checks all the boxes - great athlete, student, and overall great person.”

Barcelou said, “He is very committed to being in great shape come the hockey season, and I am really looking forward to watching him have a great junior year.”

Reflecting on the experience, Swanbon said he views himself as “someone who can do more difficult things that aren’t just hockey.”

Bailey said, “While recruiting Owen, watching him on the ice, I was instantly interested. Getting a chance to sit down with him and learn a little bit about his story, I knew we needed him on our team. Owen hasn't disappointed!”