Benjamin Green says training is his outlet. (Photo courtesy Green)

When people take on the sport of triathlon, they are generally looking for the satisfaction of completing a race. Many find themselves hooked and facing an additional challenge in the area of time management.

Training for three sports, working a full-time job, juggling family commitments and trying to have a social life are things that all triathletes have to learn to manage.

Sprint triathlete Benjamin Green starts his Monday mornings training at the pool at 5:30 a.m.  That is followed by teaching a spinning class at 7 which then segues into his work day in advertising. After work he trains with his students as a USA Triathlon level one coach and full-throttle endurance-racing coach.

And that’s just Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

On the off days, he can be found cycling through Central Park, running and competing in races at least once a month.

Green, who is gay, was born in Washington along with his twin brother, Patrick, who has cerebral palsy. Their father was never in the picture, so after their mother died when they were 3, both of the boys were taken in and raised by their grandparents in New Carrollton, Md.

Eventually they moved to Fredericksburg, Va., where Green attended Massaponax High School. He dabbled in swimming, baseball and soccer but found he was more interested in discovering what life had to offer.

After a few years at community college, he went on to finish his degree at George Mason University. It was there that he rediscovered sports and joined the university swim club and tri club.

It was also at George Mason that he discovered one more obstacle to be faced in his life.  He was HIV-positive.

“I wasn’t going to let the loss of my mother or my HIV status, stop me from figuring life out,” Green says. “I believe in turning negative energy into positive energy.”

Shortly thereafter, he gave up the college partying and threw himself into training for his first triathlon at Lake Anna State Park.

“I bought a tri bike, worked with a coach and found myself hooked on the sport,” he says.

At the 2010 Gay Games in Cologne, Germany, Green used his newly found base from triathlon training to compete for Team D.C. in four sports and brought home gold medals in triathlon and cycling and a silver medal in softball. He just missed a medal in his fourth sport of swimming with a fourth place finish in the 200 freestyle relay.

Now 32, Green has embraced life as an athlete. He has competed with his twin brother Patrick in three half marathons, pushing him in a specially built adaptive machine with wheels. Patrick has some mobility, but cannot speak.

“Patrick is my only blood brother and we have a very special bond,” Green says. “He loves doing anything with me and I think it is important for people to know that just because he has a disability doesn’t mean that he can’t have feelings and enjoy life.”

In 2011, Green took an internship with Viacom and moved to New York City where he has been tearing through amateur triathlon competitions with podium finishes becoming a near-constant.

This year he has podium finishes in 12 races including first place overall finishes at the Nations Triathlon in D.C., Stamford Triathlon, Brooklyn Duathlon and Coney Island Aquathlon.

At the 2014 ITU Aquathlon World Championships in Edmonton, Canada, Green competed for Team USA and finished in 10th place in the 30-34 age group.

Green has one more race left in 2014, the Key West Triathlon on Dec. 6, and then plans on moving from the amateur level to the elite level of triathlon races in 2015. There are also plans for another race with his brother Patrick next year.

“Competing in and training for triathlons is my outlet,” Green says. “I love being in the pool and I love riding my bike; I can ride for hours. I have already lived a pretty full life, but I need to keep this freight train rolling.”

Benjamin Green (Photo by Tom Henning Photography)