Cataula woman writes book about Aflac triathlon experience

Darlene Ballard was 53-years-old when she completed her first triathlon, an Aflac Iron Girl event in Atlanta last year.

Now the Aflac executive assistant will release a book about the experience.

In the book "You Go Girl!", Ballard writes about the challenges she overcame while training: facing her fear of swimming in open water, straining her back and having teammates drop out of the event due to injuries. After three months of training, Ballard was able to finish all three parts of the triathlon - running, swimming and biking - by herself.

The book also features inspirational stories from other Aflac women who participated in the event.

Aflac Iron Girl is an annual event series for women consisting of 5K and 10K walks and runs, duathlons and triathlons held across the United States. This year's event in Atlanta is on June 28.

Ballard will be at Ride on Bikes, 1036 Broadway in Columbus, Saturday for a book signing of "You Go Girl!" It's from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m.

For more information, visit www.aflacirongirl.com or www.darleneballard.com.