WACO, Texas — It was an early Sunday morning for athletes in Waco as hundreds of people made their way downtown to compete in the annual TriWaco Triathlon on July 9.
Coming from all over the country, 705 athletes swam, biked and ran their way around Waco. The sprint leg of the triathlon started bright and early at 6:30 a.m. with a 400-meter swim in the Brazos, a 16-mile bike ride on MLK and a 5k run through Cameron Park.
The race is full of warriors, including one woman who overcame breast cancer just months ago.
On July 14, 2022 Dawn Bauerle found a lump on her breast. In August of 2022, she was diagnosed with breast cancer after the doctors found a 6 cm tumor that needed to be removed. That September, she had a full mastectomy on one side and then went through intense chemotherapy treatment, losing her toenails, fingernails, hair and struggling to keep anything down.
Bauerle's last chemo session was in January of 2023 and six months later she is competing in her comeback race at the TriWaco Triathlon.
"When I signed up, I wasn't training, and I needed a finish line to get me off my couch. The fatigue from chemo is real," said Bauerle, who completed her first Triathlon in 2005. "Ladies, do your mammograms and get checked. Make sure to take care of yourself. It was hard to get up and get training again. I had such an amazing support group and they're all three here today."
One of those cheering Baurle on was her daughter, Storie Smith, who was there when her mom was diagnosed with cancer, and now got to watch her cross that finish line.
"I'm just so proud of her," said Smith. "It was really scary, but I'm so glad she's okay and she can still do the things she loves to do."
It took dedication and perseverance for Bauerle to feel ready to compete again.
"Because I had a mastectomy I had to do PT on my shoulder. They helped me get my arm moving again so I could do the swim," Bauerle said. "400 meters is not a long swim, but in perspective it was very long today. I made it through, no pain at all."
July 9 marked Bauerle's first straight mile running since Sept. 5, 2022, and crossing that finish line with her family watching is a moment she will never forget. Even if it meant puking in the trashcan, she was going to cross that suspension bridge.
"At that finish line it all came back out and my daughter was there to open the trash can. You know you raced hard when you end up like that," Bauerle said. "So, I'm proud of that."
Bauerle's daughter and husband have been the support system she needed during this difficult time. Life brings her ups and downs constantly, but for Bauerle, it's nothing she can't handle.
"When I'm around people, that brings me joy. And my child, she's 23 and her being here, I mean she is my rock," Bauerle said. "I've cried myself to sleep but I try not to dwell on things you can't control. I really just don't dwell on it."
Bauerle now leaves Waco with lifelong memories of her comeback race and some new hardware to add to her collection, but it doesn't stop here. On Oct. 7, she will be competing in her 10th Half Ironman in Memphis, Tennessee, and her support system will be right there cheering her on.
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