Against the odds, triathlete bounces back




JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers SPORTSMAN—Agoura Hills resident Anthony Barton celebrates his victory in the L.A. Triathlon this year with his wife, Yolanda. Barton is raising money to help build a hospital in Uganda.

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers SPORTSMAN—Agoura Hills resident Anthony Barton celebrates his victory in the L.A. Triathlon this year with his wife, Yolanda. Barton is raising money to help build a hospital in Uganda.


Twenty years ago, Anthony Barton was a talented athlete on the rise. Coaches told him he might even be an Olympian.

“There were people who could run faster than me and swim faster than me and bike faster than me,” said Barton, now a 40-year-old who lives in Agoura Hills. “But they said they’d never seen anyone who could do all three so well.”

Despite the variety of skills he possessed, Barton let his dream of becoming a major triathlete slip away.

Barton was a compulsive gambler and spent 10 years battling his addiction.

Inspired by friends and others, Barton not only beat his gambling habit, he earned a second chance to be the athlete he’d always hoped.

It began with heavy, dedicated training.

“I was getting faster and faster, and stronger and stronger,” he said. “I started entering races. I would get 20th place, then 15th, then 12th.”

On Sept. 7 Barton finally earned one of the sport’s top accolades: He won the Los Angeles Triathlon. He defeated 650 other competitors, many much younger.

“When I got off my bike, I gave it all I got. I knew I had a chance to win.

“It’s weird,” he says. “It feels like I’m doing much better than I thought I could do. My youth is kind of kicking back in.”

Barton surprised even himself by being able to compete at such a high level. But the thrill of victory is only part of the reason why Barton competes: He also raises money for charity. The L.A. Triathlon enabled him to donate to Learning Through Doing Adventures, an outdoor education charity.

He’s now focused on fundraising for Embrace Uganda, an organization committed to helping the youth of that African nation.

“The training is so timeconsuming. It’s so selfish, but it’s an amazing way to bring awareness. My faith is a big part of this—giving back is a big part.”

Barton met doctors Teri and Paul Reisser through his church, Agoura Bible Fellowship. The couple had traveled to Uganda and are now board members of Embrace Uganda, an organization now focused on building a 50-bed hospital.

“The situation is just so pathetic there,” said Teri Reisser, who estimates that the building will cost $30,000. “It’s very overwhelming but we are so grateful to have Anthony helping. He’s such an amazing human being. He’s all about encouraging others.”

Now Barton is racing toward an even bigger prize: the U.S. Championships in Lake Placid, N.Y. next summer. The event is a springboard to the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii in October 2009, the nation’s premier triathlon.

Barton has been married to his wife, Yolanda, for 13 years and has two children, 13yearold Kendall and 7-year-old Caden, with a third due in a few weeks.

“They thought it was really cool, seeing me sit on the podium (at the L.A. Triathlon),” Barton said. “It’s been really exciting, and a blessing for all of us.”

Barton is the president of his own restaurant janitorial company and his schedule allows him only about two or three hours of training a day. He’d like to do more.

A typical day for Barton is to wake up at 5:30 a.m. and bike 40 miles. After breakfast he goes to the ocean to swim two miles before heading to work. In the afternoon he spends time with his children and coaches his daughter’s basketball team.

“I gave up on athletics when I was young because I was in a deep addictive state,” Barton said. “The rest is history. I feel like I’m recapturing my youth.

“Everything has been a blessing since. I feel like I’m bringing something back, something bigger than me. I’m not really a self-made man. My faith and the people around me have (made me).”

Barton credits his physical therapist, Dr. Ralph Weinstock, and his coach, Brian Melekian, for helping him to complete at such a high level. Melekian founded Next Step Racing, the team on which Barton races along with training partners David Wolfe and McCray Miller.

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