More than 600 of them came out to Camp Sloper in Southington on Saturday after weeks of training for the Race4Chase Triathlon.
As we watch some of the greatest athletes compete in Paris, kids in our state have been putting in the work, too.
More than 600 of them came out to Camp Sloper in Southington on Saturday after weeks of training for the Race4Chase Triathlon.
The race honors Chase Kowalski, who was killed in the Sandy Hook shooting in December 2012 when he was 7 years old.
One thing about him – he was an athletic kid.
Get top local stories in Connecticut delivered to you every morning. Sign up for NBC Connecticut's News Headlines newsletter.
"He was like, 'I want to do that thing where you swim, and you bike, and you run'. And I was like, 'Dude, that's a triathlon, and you're six, that's not going to happen,'" said Rebecca Kowalski, Chase's mother.
But she signed him up for a race – and Chase won in his age group.
"It was the best decision we ever made as parents, and that's really what honors him the most," said Kowalski.
Local
It's why the Kowalski family started the Chase Michael-Anthony Kowalski Foundation, which gives grants to 18 regional YMCAs and community centers in Connecticut to host free, six-week camps for children where they learn to become triathletes.
At the end of the training camp, kids put their skills into practice and compete in The Race4Chase Triathlon.
"It's kind of like the Olympics. And it's like a fun day for people to win awards and everything," said Chella Ramasamy, of Orange.
"I think it's important because it's like honoring a kind kid and it makes other kids have so much fun honoring him," said Shayna Decker, of Milford.
"I want to do it next year," said Cody Simpson, of Middlebury.
For others, it has come full circle. Patrick Osiecki, of Naugatuck, got involved in Race4Chase when he was 8 years old. Today, he's a councilor, helping kids train and compete.
"It was really cool because I made a lot of friends participating in race4chase who I'm coaching with now, it's a cool experience," Osiecki said.
Chase's mother says it means a lot to her to see people come back to honor her son – who would have turned 19 in October.
"My thing has been -- I didn't get to see Chase grow up, and now I'm watching these kids grow up. That part is amazing," Kowalski said.
