Public Health Service lieutenant wins Buckner triathlon

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Kyle Johnson
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Michael Bakker cuts through the water as if it were his natural habitat. His white swimmer's cap rhythmically breaks the surface as he sucks in precious oxygen for the next lap.

Bakker, a Public Health Service lieutenant assigned to the Indian Health Service, completed 9.62 miles at the Indoor Sprint Triathlon at Buckner Physical Fitness Center Feb. 9, winning first place in the male division.

The event was divided into two heats and was open to any Department of Defense cardholder or active duty personnel older than 18 years of age.

Participants biked for 15 minutes, ran for 15 minutes, and finished with 15 minutes of swimming, with only brief breaks for transitioning between events.

"It was great fun and a good event," said former Air Force Capt. Bill Kane, Kenai Fjords National Park ranger, who also competed in the event. "I'm glad I didn't have to break ice to go for a swim."

As a physician's assistant, Bakker encourages a healthier lifestyle for about 1,500 Alaska Native patients in the Anchorage area and 10 Native villages.

When he's not on the clock he's racing the clock, as he competes in roughly 20 fitness events a year, 10 of which are triathlons.

It's not about winning, he said. It's about besting his own time, constantly getting better.

"If you're a competitive person, it's fun because you are competing with yourself," Bakker said.

Before Bakker began participating in these events, he was 80 pounds overweight.

"I was unhappy with myself, I knew I was out of shape," he said. "I grew motivated to make a change and began to slowly incorporate more and more exercise into my life.

"I started working out two times a week or so," he said. "Initially, my goal was to just complete a race. Over the past 10 years, I've begun to add in more and more exercise.

"As I became [more] in shape, I realized I had more energy to do things like go backpacking with my wife and enjoy nature."

Bakker is now doing some form of exercise roughly 10 times a week. But he doesn't go to the gym to achieve his goals; he simply pursues a more active lifestyle.

Throughout the week, he stays active, participates in community running events, and takes his dog out for jogs.

To unwind on the weekends, Bakker goes on a trail ride on his fat-tire bike, spends the day with his family, and typically goes for a hike with his wife in the afternoon.

To Bakker, a triathlon is simply a hard workout.

"I think these events are great," Bakker said. "They are a great way to get a hard workout in and have a good time. When you get done with a hard workout, you feel great.

"It does release endorphins, but you feel like you've actually done something to improve your fitness."

"As you do more races, exercises, and achieve your goals, it becomes addicting," Bakker said.

The Alaska cold can turn active service members into introverted homebodies, but Bakker seems to have warmed up to the unusual weather here and finds new adventures everywhere.

"I'm really thankful for the opportunities we have here," he said. "They are really committed to encouraging a healthy lifestyle. Our gyms are some of the best I've ever been to."

"We have fun runs, races and all these outdoor activities," Bakker said. "I'd encourage everyone to take as much advantage of that as they can."

Physical wellness may seem daunting, but it is not out of reach. A physically healthy lifestyle is as realistic as the goals one sets to get there.

"If you want to get yourself healthier, keep things small and simple," Bakker said. "If you try to change six different things about your life on New Year's day, a lot of that's not going to stick. If you can achieve those small goals, it will motivate you to achieve bigger goals. That's how it was with me."

For more information on available programs, contact the Elmendorf Fitness Center at 552-5353, or Buckner Physical Fitness Center at 384-1308.