Rob Jeter, left, in his first triathlon at Black Bear. Jeremy Stillman in action. They both say the triathlon has stretched their athletic prowess. (Photos courtesy the subjects)

In the continuing Blade series on the rookies and veterans that make up the teams in the LGBT sports community of D.C., we take a look at two athletes from the TriOut triathlon club.

Of all the sports a person can choose, the sport of triathlon can bring about the most challenges in many aspects, especially in regard to the need for mentoring and teammates.

Considering that one has to master the techniques required for swimming, running and cycling along with all the respective gear and training schedules, surrounding oneself with a seasoned group of teammates is paramount to success.

Rob Jeter grew up north of Seattle and competed in swimming through high school before taking a break during his college years at Arizona State. After arriving in D.C. in 2008 for his work as a civil engineer, he joined the District of Columbia Aquatics Club.

“I wanted to get back into sports for health reasons and for the social aspect,” Jeter says. “It’s important for me to have teammates around for motivation and friendship.”

Over seven years with the swim team, he has competed in Hawaii, Iceland, Seattle, Cleveland and Stockholm. Last year he was convinced by a crossover friend from triathlon, Jeremy Stillman, to give that sport a try.

“For a number of years, I had wanted to try training for a triathlon,” Jeter says. “I love cycling, but did not have any running experience behind me.”

With about 1,300 triathletes, the D.C. Triathlon Club can be hard to find a niche in so Jeter, 41, joined its New Triathlete Program through its LGBT offshoot, TriOut. He immediately felt the benefit of having veteran triathletes to guide him.

“Everyone at TriOut was very inspiring and they are great examples for planning the training regimen and competitions,” Jeter says. “Our little group has a focus list of triathlon events for the athletes to compete in together.”

Jeter completed his first triathlon in May in the Olympic distance at Black Bear in the Poconos. When he emerged as one of the leaders after the swim, he was cheered on by his partner, Brendan, and his parents who had flown in from Seattle.

“I really enjoyed the transitioning between the swimming, running and cycling and engaging all the muscle groups,” Jeter says. “Next up I want to do a half Ironman and eventually a full Ironman. Now I have to figure out how to fit the training into my work travel.”

Jeremy Stillman spent his youth in Waccabuc, N.Y., dabbling in multiple sports including running, swimming, skiing and tennis. It wasn’t until after he finished his undergrad work at New York University that his competitive fires kicked in.

He completed his first triathlon in the sprint distance in New York in 2008 and immediately found himself hooked.

“When you start discovering you are good at something, you develop a passion for it,” Stillman says. “After that first race, I wanted more and I wanted to push myself.”

Stillman moved to D.C. with his former partner in 2009 and took on the Nation’s Triathlon in the Olympic distance. He left the area in 2011 for graduate work at Emory University and returned in 2013, now working in orthopedic surgery.

Besides his involvement with D.C. Triathlon Club and TriOut, he has completed three marathons including the Boston Marathon this year.

“I really relate to the rookies when they come to TriOut; the nervousness, getting all the gear together,” Stillman says. “They push me to perfect my performance and they inspire me to train harder.”

Stillman says the veterans in TriOut utilize the resources of D.C. Triathlon Club to mentor the rookies and each year TriOut has a training weekend in Lost River, W.Va.

After recently completing a half Ironman in Miami, Stillman, 35, is targeting his first full Ironman for Lake Placid, N.Y. in July.

“I will ramp up my training in January for the Ironman,” Stillman says. “My swimming will be inside and I will train on the stationary bike inside, but I actually like running outside in the winter.”