Jen Bergeron

Residence: Delmar
Hometown: Amsterdam
Primary Sport: Triathlon
Occupation: Professional Realtor
Family: Husband, Patrick; Children, Mason and Renzi
Age: 44
Favorite Quote: “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” –T.S. Eliot

By Tom Denham

Originally from Amsterdam, Jen Bergeron moved to Slingerlands as a teen and graduated from Bishop Maginn High School in Albany. Back then she took dance lessons at Schenectady at Merritt’s Dance Studio 3-4 days a week. She also played basketball and recalls she was always fast on the court but lacked finesse. “I loved playing and the competition really fueled me,” she stated. Today, her primary activity is triathlons.

Jen was born on her oldest brother’s third birthday. She said, “I was a tomboy and didn’t mind getting rough and dirty outside keeping up with my two older brothers. My Dad told me that pound for pound I was stronger than them which drove them crazy.” When she reflects back she firmly believes that is where she developed her confidence. After her early childhood years, she admitted that she was pretty rebellious. “I did not like conforming and often did the opposite of what I was told. My mom really allowed me to be who I was and say what was on my mind. As hard as it was to raise an independent thinker, it truly allowed me to be a confident leader in my adult life,” she remarked.

After high school, Jen could not wait to get out of town. She set off for New York City to study dance at Marymount Manhattan College. She states, “Urban living had always been appealing to me.” For her, The City was the complete opposite of Amsterdam. “At 17, it really felt like there were no rules – anything goes! I rebelled into my early 20s and I even shaved my head in college,” she noted. While in college she met her husband, Patrick. She stated with enthusiasm, “I instantly fell in love. He was and remains to this day the life of the party. He is easy going, has a fun personality and is so cute!” After almost 18 years of marriage, she honestly believes they are still as in love today as we were back then.

After college, they stayed in New York City for a couple of years. Patrick waited tables, and she was a nanny and worked part-time at the Alvin Ailey Studio as an assistant dance teacher for children. Then they moved to Los Angeles as they still wanted big city living, but with warmer weather and something different. “We bought a car, packed everything we owned into it and drove cross-country in two weeks. We camped along the way and saw baseball games whenever possible,” Jen remembers. Patrick got a job doing business-to-business sales, and she worked in human resources. They stayed on the West Coast for two years and then moved back to the Albany area to be closer to both of their families. Her mom, Marie Bettini recruited Patrick to work for her real estate company, Albany Realty Group. Patrick excelled in sales in California, and so she thought he would be a great fit. Jen recalls, “Since I didn’t have a job, I got my real estate license and began working for her too in 2006. For the last 19 years, I have been a full-time agent helping people during one of the biggest decisions of their life. It is a true honor.” 

Jen and her family live in Delmar and she loves how active the community is. She has friends who run outside all year long regardless of the weather so finding a running buddy is never a problem. She noted, “We are also so lucky to have such great cycling close by. It doesn’t take long to get out in the challenging terrain of the Helderberg Hilltowns where the traffic thins.”

In 2014, she took her first spin class at 365 Fit Studio in Delmar with Erin Svare. Her instructor mentioned that her sister-in-law was doing a triathlon in Averill Park. “I didn't know what a triathlon was but once she told me, I was intrigued,” Jen acknowledged. Erin served as her mentor, and she introduced Jen to the Bethlehem Triathlon Club. She discovered the amazing people there who are now some of her best friends. She went on to say, “I borrowed a bike from my (now) dear friend Lea Foster. I told Patrick that if I liked it and wanted to stick with it after that first year in 2015, then I would invest in my own bike. I now own four different bikes!” Jen admits, “I got bit by the bug! I came into this sport as a runner however the longer I’m in this, the more I love cycling too!”

Multisport can be an intimidating. To get started, she recommends you join a club and you’ll find many supportive people who will share their valuable knowledge. She has a bias toward Bethlehem Triathlon Club  – she’s the club’s first female president. Regardless of what club you join, she really believes that triathletes are also some of the most generous people you will know. She suggests you need to have a good attitude, be willing to listen, ask questions and leave your ego at the door. 

Jen’s idea of relaxing is hiking and nature and would love to do more in the future. “We have done a couple Adirondack High Peaks, and when I am done with triathlon, I plan to become a 46er,” she said. Some of her local favorite local hikes include Bennett Hill, Thacher State Park, and Vroman’s Nose. Her best visit so far was last year’s trip to Acadia National Park. 

It is a family affair including the dogs. Both kids love nature and being outside, but not necessarily hiking. “They do it to make me happy, and we hike less now that they’re older and have more activities. Since they are both runners, it’s hard to expect them to hike on day that they would have off.” Mason’s favorite sport is cross country running which allows him to be in the woods and on the trails. 

Not only is Jen balancing her work, family and the duties of BTC president, she has some triathlon goals for 2025. She is racing Ironman Canada-Ottawa on August 3 (her third 140.6) and Tupper Lake Tinman 70.3 for the second time. In 2023, her family did the Crystal Lake Triathlon as a relay. She stated, “We entered two teams, Patrick and Renzi, then Mason and me. The kids swam and Patrick and I biked and ran.” Mason will be racing Crystal Lake this summer for his first triathlon. Ironically, it will fall on the 10-year anniversary of her very first triathlon, when he was just five!

As president of the club, her goal is to support adults and kids in multisport any way she can. She started BTC’s Junior Program for kids 10-18 years old, and would love to see it grow. Last year the program had five juniors and several competed in their first triathlons.

There have been three special defining moments in Jen’s life. First is being pregnant and naturally delivering both of her kids. After 40 hours of labor with Mason, she learned that she could do anything. Secondly, Jen contracted Lyme disease in 2014. From the day she got diagnosed to when she started feeling better, she vowed to make her health a top priority. 

Finally, she recalls the third defining moment was probably when Mason was in kindergarten and she and Patrick attended his parent-teacher conference. His teacher at the time shared that Mason lacked confidence. She stated, “I learned you can’t teach confidence. However, I gave the him and his sister the tools, experience, and love to become more confident. Our family rule is we don’t care what you do, you just have to do something. Thankfully, both of my kids have pursued swimming and running, and through these activities they’ve gained confidence.” Jen also credits their coaches. She really believes it takes a village, and her kids have been nurtured from some of the best people in the community. 

Jen has a solid group of friends and family that keep her centered and grounded. She notes, “Having the right people in your life makes all the difference. Patrick is always there to listen. He supports my crazy ideas and helps me to achieve my goals. My coach, Fran Vincent of Vincent Multisport, also keeps me in check. We talk before every race and she reminds me the goal is to have fun. She gives me the freedom to ‘go for it’ if I’m feeling good, and to ‘back off’ if I’m not.” She’s also grateful for her training partners, Eric Bergin and Peter Pochily. She emphasized that they laugh, encourage and support each other, especially when things get hard.

When I asked Jen with whom would you most like to change places for a year, she responded by saying, “As boring as it sounds, I work really hard to create a life that I love. I can’t think of anyone that I would want to change places with.” I have known Jen for several years now. If there was a triathlon and the three parts were a positive attitude, a big smile and a big heart, Jen would be on the podium at every race! 

Dr. Tom Denham (careersintransition@yahoo.com) is a career counselor in private practice. He loves to share his passion for mountaineering, kayaking, curling and especially ice and rock climbing, but only when he is not trying to win his age group in running, duathlons and triathlons. He would rather spend his time with his beloved wife, St. Lisa and their two dogs, Lulu and Tango, living in their converted van down by the river.