Dave Kuendig

As a youth, I was a competitive swimmer. The swim club that I competed for held an annual kids triathlon. It was short, only 100 yards of swimming, 4 miles of biking, and a 1 mile run. But at age 11, I tried it, and I was hooked. From that age through college, I did a triathlon every summer. Back then, it provided a nice break from staring at the black line in the pool.

In 2001, USA Triathlon invited me to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado to train with the Olympic Team. It was an eye-opening experience. These guys were flying around the track, riding up mountains, and swimming as fast as NCAA swimmers. I didn’t have any background in running or biking, so not only was I left in the dust, I got injured. I returned to the pool in the fall, not so sure I was prepared to be a triathlete.

The next spring, USA Triathlon surprised me, and offered the same invitation as they did in 2001. I returned to the Training Center that June. This time, I knew what I was getting into. I had a much more productive training summer. In August, in my first Olympic Distance race, I finished 2nd overall at the Boulder Peak Triathlon, with the fastest swim and run splits.

In 2003, I turned professional. Since then I have competed in 8 countries and all over the United States. I went to the World Championships in New Zealand and two World Cups in Japan. During this time, I completed law school at the University of Kentucky. It was not easy, and I believe that both my grades and my training suffered while I tried to balance two things that normally require 100% of your time.

After graduating from law school, I have coached elite high school swimmers at Wildcat Aquatics, masters swimmers at Wildcat Masters, and summer league swimmers at the Hartland Neighborhood in Lexington, KY. This year I am helping coach elite triathlete Mark Fretta. Mark was the number one ranked Olympic Triathlete in the world in the spring of 2006, but has battled injury, and we are working together to get him back on top.

Education

Juris Doctor
University of Kentucky College of Law
Dec 2005

Bachelor of Business Administration
University of Kentucky
Dual Major Business Finance and Administration
May 2002

Certifications

USA Triathlon Professional Triathlete

USA Swimming Coach

USA Masters Swimming Coach

CPR/First Aid

Key Race History

2008:
Currently Ranked 48th in the ITU Pan American Olympic Qualifying Rankings

ITU Pan American Cup – San Francisco Triathlon – 16th

ITU Pan American Cup – US Pro National Championship – 15th

ITU Pan American Cup – Musselman Triathlon – 10th

ITU Pan American Cup – Nevis Triathlon – 7th

ITU World Cup – Ishigaki Japan – DNF (injury)

Susan Bradley-Cox Tri-for-Sight – 2nd Place Overall