Raise the Bar, a Covington-based business, is gearing up for another year of managing what it calls the largest, “most-participatory” triathlon team in the Pacific Northwest.

At the end of 2008, 189 men and women were members of the Raise the Bar team. They included elite age-groupers who won local races, and adults who participated as a way to get in shape.

Raise the Bar will kick off its sixth season Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. at Center Cycle Bike Shop in Renton. Anyone interested in participating in the sport of triathlon is invited to attend the event that will include a trivia contest, refreshments, discounts and free wall calendars for the first 100 guests. More information is available at www.weraisethebar.com.

Patty Swedberg, the president of Raise the Bar, said triathlon “is at the center of almost everything we do. But the actual mission of Raise the Bar is to build a community of adults that share a common experience of setting a goal and achieving it. The confidence, sense of accomplishment and sheer joy that results from competing makes us better parents, spouses, employees and children.”

Swedberg said sponsors such as F5 Networks, a business applications provider with headquarters in Seattle, and Kent Easthill Physical Therapy help Raise the Bar’s team hold down the costs of competing. Athletes save on race fees, equipment, training and clothing.

Team members include a group of women, called Raise the Hope, who have risk factors of heart disease, such as high blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose and weight. Supported by The Hope Heart Institute, a cardiovascular research and education organization, the women improve their health by training and racing.

Read more of this story in the Reporter’s online edition.