ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT

Today’s athlete spotlight article covers our interview with First Knight Racing Team member Rae Glaser of Webster, NY – currently our 2-time defending Peasantman Steel Intermediate Distance champ! 

First Knight: Rae, when did you meet our founder Joe McMahon and become involved in First Knight Racing?

Rae: I first met Joe back in 2018 when he was competing in Ironman Lake Placid – we had known about each other for years but we finally met in person that weekend. I remember thinking that he was a special kind of wonderful crazy because he was wearing a Superman cape while running the marathon as a testament to a cause he was supporting! 

I then raced Peasantman for the first time in 2022, and the atmosphere was so incredible that I knew this was a racing team I wanted to be part of. Joe combines fun and lighthearted spirit with his impeccable affordable races and the result is incredible. As adults we all do this for the joy of it, and his events are top notch! Joe had asked me to join the First Knight Racing team in early 2023 and I happily accepted – I represented First Knight in both the Keuka Tri and Peasantman in 2023.

First Knight: How did you get started in racing? 

Rae: I started doing triathlons in 2005, and my first race was the Sodus Point Tri. This race was absolutely crazy… the waves in Lake Ontario were 3 feet high and they pulled over 60 people out of the water. Thankfully my fluid doggy paddle got me through the swim... I can't say I've evolved much in the water since though!

 First Knight: And what are some of your proudest achievements or milestones in your racing career? 

Rae: My first Ironman was at Lake Placid in 2010 – the race was the stuff dreams are made of.  I was still a very klutzy triathlete, and deathly afraid of my bike. I was never an athlete as a kid and the feeling of crossing the finish line of a 140.6 was absolutely incredible!  

In the more recent past, I would say Ironman Texas 2023 was a favorite – I got the crazy idea to qualify for Kona and threw everything I had at the race, netting a huge personal best of 11:10 and qualifying. It's still hard to believe that that actually happened – sometimes I just shake my head in disbelief that it did.   

My favorite race of all time is sadly no longer, and that was the Sodus Point Tri. I did it every year from 2005-2017, save for 2015 when I was pregnant and did my own DIY Sodus. With Sodus gone, I would say Peasantman is my favorite – the course is fair, the distance leads to no pressure for a certain time, and all the cool kids are doing it! 

Sodus still holds so many memories for me – from my first race, to first race as a wife, a mom, and every life change in between. I also have been so lucky to travel to some iconic races. Lake Placid holds a beauty that is bar none, Texas was an amazing locale, and St. George was ferociously hard, epic weather, and the best road trip of a lifetime! However, with all of that, the local ones are still my favorites. The company and community are so wonderful that it’s hard to top the home spirit of Peasantman, Keuka, The Roc Tri, or Musselman. 

First Knight: What do you enjoy most about Keuka Tri and Peasantman? 

Rae: The atmosphere is incredible. While the actual moving parts of the race are all well thought out and done consistently, it’s the extra touches that matter. Joe's attention to detail, the fun medieval theme of Peasantman, and the little goodies that accompany each race. Also, the fellow athletes are incredible as well – it always feels like a party at these events, which is how it should be. As grownups (shudder) there is too much serious in the world, and it’s refreshing to go play at triathlon with all my favorites for a morning or two! And with the First Knight Racing Team, the camaraderie is incredible. Erin and Joe obviously love what they do, and the whole FK team is just top notch - they are real, honest, fun, and the best type of jokesters. No one takes themselves too seriously, which is so needed with the world today. 

First Knight: What advice would you give to new multisport athletes?

Rae: I would say get involved in the community. We were all beginners once, and there are no such things as silly questions, too slow, or "I just can’t do this.” Everyone helps everyone, and it’s amazing to see how people in this sport lift each other up and step in to assist when needed. Ask questions, join the fun, and don’t be afraid to call yourself a true athlete/triathlete – I hesitated to do that for years and I feel silly that I did!

A few last funny things to mention too: I once crashed my bike coming into T2 and there’s a viral video of it. And back in 2021, I put my helmet on backwards coming out of T1 – it was a ducktail aero helmet and I looked liked a magical Narwhal. Also, after 19 years, I still can’t swim!

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