When he bid on a live auction item, land surveyor Jim Pilarski, of California, thought he was buying a personal training package for his wife Stella. He never anticipated what was really in the basket--an entrance into the Los Angeles Triathlon. “At first I thought, holy smoke,” Pilarksi said. “It turned out that basket was worth every dime.”

By Michelle Sathe
Signal Senior Staff Writer

The-signal.com: Saugus resident bids on prize and ends up at the Los Angeles Triathlon

He thought he was buying a personal training package for his wife Stella. That’s why Jim Pilarski bid $1,200 on the live auction item at the Boys & Girls Club of Santa Clarita Valley fundraiser in June.

Pilarski never anticipated what was really in the basket - an entrance into the Los Angeles Triathlon and a full range of tools such as a wetsuit, goggles, tennis shoes, and nutritional supplements to complete the task. It also included 10 training sessions with Andrew Gallardo, SCV Boys & Girls Club board member and regional fitness director of Kaiser Permanente, a triathlon sponsor.

“At first I thought, holy smoke,” Pilarksi said. “It turned out that basket was worth every dime.”

A self-employed land surveyor, Pilarski, 64, hadn’t seriously exercised in years. ...

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