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52 Faces of Community<\/a> is a Fort Worth Report weekly series spotlighting local unsung heroes. It is sponsored by Central Market<\/a>, H-E-B<\/a> and JPS Health Network<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the end of the year, these rarely recognized heroes will gather for a luncheon where the Report will announce one honoree to represent Tarrant County at the Jefferson Awards in Washington, D.C.<\/p>\n Now, between her volunteer work and newly launched triathlon community, The Collective Tri<\/a>, she hopes she can use her story to inspire other members of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.\u00a0<\/p>\n Segrest\u2019s work and passion earned her recognition in 52 Faces of Community, the Fort Worth Report\u2019s weekly series spotlighting unsung heroes in Tarrant County.<\/p>\n ENJOY READING THE NEWS AGAIN<\/strong><\/p>\n Discover refreshing, nonpartisan<\/strong> reporting on stories happening in your backyard.<\/p>\n \u201cEveryone wants to know what their purpose is in life, and I feel like you have to serve something that\u2019s higher than yourself to understand your purpose,\u201d Segrest said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Recently, she announced the launch of The Collective Tri alongside co-founder Yaqin Al-Amin. The Collective Tri is not your usual run club, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been a part of enough run clubs to know that they always talk about community, but you don\u2019t know about community until you have boots on the ground helping out,\u201d Segrest said.\u00a0<\/p>\n The club will be open to people at each level in their journey with triathlons, whether they are an Olympian or just getting interested in the sport, Segrest said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cDoing triathlons isn\u2019t out of reach for anyone,\u201d Al-Amin said. \u201cEveryone can do it, it just takes a certain amount of time and effort. That\u2019s what Sarah has shown me the entire way.\u201d<\/p>\n As someone who grew up volunteering along with her family, creating a culture around community-focused philanthropy is important to Segrest.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe want to start going to different states and partnering with run clubs and pelotons<\/a> and raise money,\u201d Segrest said. \u201cWe not only want to donate to charity, but we want to serve the community.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Segrest, 24, was constantly involved in sports growing up in Charlotte, North Carolina. In high school, she participated in soccer, ballet, cross country and horseback riding.\u00a0<\/p>\n Her first triathlon came at the suggestion of a friend.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey were like, \u2018You should do a half-Ironman one day,\u2019 and I was like, \u2018No, thank you,\u2019\u201d Segrest said. \u201cI was like, I can barely swim, I hate running.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite her initial hesitation, she signed up and competed. She can still remember contemplating giving up in the last 2 miles.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI was just about ready to hop off the bike and call it a day, but my parents were there and my friends all knew I was doing the race,\u201d Segrest said. \u201cIt just pushed me to finish it.\u201d<\/p>\n Since that first race, she won a state championship and is now qualified for the 2026 Draft-Legal Sprint World Championship.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cDoing triathlons isn\u2019t out of reach for anyone. Everyone can do it, it just takes a certain amount of time and effort. That\u2019s what Sarah has shown me the entire way.\u201d<\/p>\n Yaqin Al-Amin, co-founder of The Collective Tri<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Following the state championship, Segrest spoke with representatives from USA Triathlon about her win. During that conversation, they told her that she was the first Vietnam-born person to win the championship, she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt just meant so much more because I haven\u2019t been back to Vietnam or had communication with my birth mother,\u201d Segrest said.\u00a0<\/p>\n Her accomplishment was shared via Instagram, where she read comments about what it meant to the Vietnamese and Asian American and Pacific Islander community.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI started doing triathlons for myself and now, it\u2019s like wow,\u201d Segrest said. \u201cI am a representation of where I came from, too.\u201d<\/p>\n Know an unsung hero in Tarrant County?<\/p>\n Tell us about them by filling out the form below. <\/p>\n Segrest shares her story online in hopes of inspiring others.\u00a0<\/p>\n One day, she received an email from Gold House, a nonprofit organization focused on advocacy for the empowerment of the Asian American and Pacific Islander community.\u00a0<\/p>\n The group offered her membership.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBeing invited into Gold House has just been such an accomplishment because I see all of the other members advocating for the community,\u201d Segrest said. \u201cIt was just something that was like, wow, what I am doing is being seen, and I want to continue pushing more women into the sport and more of the Asian community.\u201d<\/p>\n As for the future, Segrest said she has aspirations of participating in the Olympics. But she has another goal.<\/p>\n \u201cI didn\u2019t really have a lot of people that I looked up to,\u201d Segrest said. \u201cWhen I did, it was people that looked like me. I just want to be someone others can look up to.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Chris Moss is a reporting fellow for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at chris.moss@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tired of shouting? Help us bring facts into focus.<\/strong><\/p>\n There\u2019s no shortage of opinions out there, but facts are harder to come by. At the Fort Worth Report, we deliver local reporting grounded in truth so that you can make informed decisions for yourself and your community.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n Fort Worth Report is certified by the Journalism Trust Initiative<\/a> for adhering to standards for ethical journalism.<\/p>\n Republish This Story<\/p>\n\n
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