Melanie Stuart is a trailblazer in the local triathlon community.

When most people think of triathletes, images of super-lean and fit young adults likely come to mind.

But in the world of local triathlon — such as the Charleston Sprint Triathlon Series at James Island County Park  participants come in all shapes, sizes and ages. There are even divisions called Clydesdales and Athenas, respectively, for men weighing more than 200 and women over 150.

But when Stuart started competing in the sprint series in the summer of 2003, there was no division for Athenas.

She asked the organizers for it and proved that it was a division worth having.

Stuart — who, after having two children, weighed in at 202 pounds — finished her first triathlon at James Island on July 2003. She finished the sprint distance (.3-mile swim, 13-mile bike and 3.1-mile run) in 1 hour, 19 minutes, 47 seconds and in 131st place out of 258.

At her last triathlon on July 29, she finished the race (with a slightly shorter bike distance) in 1:09:10 and 69th out of 339 participants. Her time was actually faster than the second-place female in the open/elite division.

In that same four-year period, she qualified for and completed the Boston Marathon, finished the Carolinas' grueling Assault on Mount Mitchell bike ride and competed in two half Ironman -distance triathlons. And she is currently training for Ironman Florida, with its 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run.

For Stuart, the personal athletic achievements dovetail with her professional life. She works as the aerobics coordinator at World Fitness in Goose Creek and her reputation as an instructor and trainer has garnered her the nickname, "The Melanator."

Yet the 38-year-old credits, in large part, the sprint triathlon series and its friendly atmosphere for setting her on her current course for improving her fitness. In fact, now she just barely qualifies to be an Athena. Her 5-8 frame weighs in at 152 pounds.

As for the Athena division, she has gone from being the lone participant to being among a half dozen or so. While that's an improvement, it still remains in stark contrast to the Clydesdale division, which drew 25 competitors on July 29.

She hopes the Athena division will continue to build, but it likely will have to do so without her. Not because she may drop under 150, but because she is expected to move next summer. Her husband Scott, a pediatrician for the Navy, is expected to be transferred to one of three locations.

So Sunday's triathlon will not only feature its championship round, but a bittersweet farewell to Charleston's first Athena.