Kevin Crossman

By Kim Kilby

Residence: Moreau

Age: 43

Family: Wife, Bridget; Children, Ella, Hazel and Finley 

Career: Physical ed teacher at Glens Falls Middle School and varsity swim coach at Glens Falls High School

Primary Sport: Swimming

Secondary Sports: Triathlon

Favorite Quote: “Find a group of people who challenge and inspire you, spend a lot of time with them, and it will change your life.” –Amy Poehler

Have you ever known someone who, when you are around them, makes you feel lighter, more confident and more positive, just by being in their presence? Now, imagine being a triathlete, a high school student or a young person, and that this person described is your coach. When you interact with and learn from this coach, you feel inspired and supported, and the sport of triathlon becomes something different than it was before. Now, triathlon is both fun and serious, friendly and competitive, something balanced in real life. This role model, whose passion is making the sport of triathlon accessible and enjoyable for all ages – as well as over a lifetime, is Kevin Crossman.

Although best known these days as the lead coach for T3 Coaching, which he founded in 2005, Kevin himself has his own impressive athletic resume starting with a strong swimming career as an All-American at SUNY Cortland. This solid foundation in swimming paved the way for a strong transition to triathlon. During the peak of his competitive racing, Kevin posted overall wins at the Finger Lakes Triathlon (2008/2010), Rev3 Quassy Olympic (2010), Mini-Musselman Triathlon (2009), North Country Triathlon Olympic and Sprint (2008/2009), and the Hudson Crossing Triathlon (2013). He has completed Ironman Lake Placid twice (2001/2006) and qualified for the 2009 Ironman World Championship in Hawaii at Ironman 70.3 Eagleman in Maryland.

Competitive racing has thrown its share of physical challenges at Kevin, which shifted his focus even more to his coaching. The T3 Coaching philosophy combines his love for coaching, fitness, and triathlon into a business that provides athletes with high level, personalized training programs. He has spent the past 14 years building and growing his team, while helping hundreds of athletes of all levels to achieve their performance goals. 

Kevin has coached all different levels and disciplines of triathlon. From first-timers to Hawaii Ironman qualifiers, from Olympic distance to XTERRA off-road racers, he has helped them to achieve success and most importantly, have fun and enjoy themselves while doing it. He takes great pride in coaching many first-timers to the finish line, healthy and smiling. And at the other end of the spectrum, Kevin has also coached many top-notch athletes, including Ironman age-group world champions, age-group podium finishers at the Ironman World Championship, and multiple All-American triathletes and Ironman All World athletes.

These past few years, he has seen one of his greatest success stories in Nick Marcantonio, a 26-year-old from Glens Falls, who was offered his USA Triathlon “pro/elite card” after posting some remarkable wins with Ironman 70.3 Connecticut and Ironman 70.3 Lake Placid. Kevin describes Nick as someone who loves training more than anyone he has coached before, and most importantly, in his work with Nick, Kevin was able to really demonstrate and teach him about the journey. “It is long, but rewarding. Results take time. And the more you work on your goals, the more your goals work on you.”

Perhaps the best way to illustrate Kevin’s exceptional involvement and leadership in this sport in our community is his commitment to introducing youth to the sport. Each summer, he hosts a “Tiny T3” triathlon camp that teaches elementary-age kids the foundational skills of triathlon in a friendly, welcoming atmosphere. The camp culminates in a race where every young athlete has been prepared to confidently finish with a smile. Kevin describes running this camp as one of his proudest achievements in all of triathlon and remarks, “As an adult, if you are ever seeking motivation in your own triathlon career, I encourage you to volunteer a couple hours at this camp. The energy you will leave with will last you a lifetime!” 

Kevin’s experience and knowledge has been rewarded with many accolades including being awarded NYS Section 2 Boys Swim Coach of the Year multiple times and the NYS High School Swim Coach of the Year Award in 2016. Kevin is a Founders Day Recipient, an honor awarded by the Glens Falls City School District for going above and beyond for the students. In 2019, he received national recognition when he was chosen as the recipient for USA Triathlon’s 2018 Spirit of Multisport Award, which recognizes individuals who illustrate the principles of the positive spirit of triathlon and who display excellent sportsmanship and leadership in multisport with no deference to athletic ability.  

 This award could not be more fitting, as Kevin is a most humble leader who is driven, and bases his own success, on seeing his athletes and students shine their brightest. He is a rare example of someone who can genuinely set aside his own accomplishments to let others know how important and wonderful they are. Although most people think “T3” refers to the three disciplines of triathlon, the name actually means something very different. T3, or the third transition, is about what happens after the race and emphasizes the belief that friends, family and fun are what bring us together as a triathlon community. 

Kevin’s coaching philosophy is based on the fundamental importance of the “3rd transition.” He believes that balance is critical to success, and the best training programs are those that promote a healthy lifestyle by getting to know the whole athlete first, then designing training programs that fit with their unique personalities and performance goals. There is T1 (swim to bike), T2 (bike to run), and T3 Coaching – the interaction between multisport and life. It is here, in this third transition, where Kevin feels the magic of multisport occurs, especially when sharing that joy with others. In his coaching and his athletic examples, Kevin Crossman reminds us all “In a world where you can be anything, be kind.” Cheers to Kevin – a true role model and a leader for the athletic and multisport community in our region.

Kim Kilby (kimberlyakilby@gmail.com) of Niskayuna is a triathlete, mom, musician, doctor who loves long snuggles and stay-cations.