With more than 300 triathlons under her belt, Beverley Clarke, 60, is proving that age is only a number.

Competing since the age of 46, Clarke has already completed three Iron Man competitions, each consisting of a grueling 2.4-mile ocean swim, a 112-mile bike race and a 26.2-mile run, and has crossed the finish line of hundreds of other sprint and Olympic-length triathlons.

``It's a three-D situation,'' said Clarke, who has represented Team USA, a national team for elite athletes. ``You need discipline, dedication and determination.''

The competition is fierce. But so is Clarke. When a car accident left her with two ruptured spinal discs just two months before an Iron Man in Denmark 2001, she refused to have surgery knowing the recovery time would cut into competition time. Instead, Clarke iced her injury during the race, and literally dragged herself across the finish line.

``I just kept persevering,'' said Clarke, a mother of three and grandmother to a 12-year-old girl. ``My endorphins were so high. It goes to show how much pain you can endure.''

Clarke placed fifth in the world for her age group in that race.

In her late 40s and early 50s, Clarke, formerly in the real estate business, spent much of her free time training and competing. A typical weekend for Clarke included a 5K run on Friday night with a sprint triathlon, generally a quarter-mile swim, a 10-to-15-mile bicycle ride and a 3.1 mile-run; on Saturday, it was a mile-long swim in the afternoon; and on Sunday, an Olympic distance race.

So where does her strength and stamina come from? Clarke, a Jamaican native, mostly credits a healthy regimen: eating nonprocessed food, including organic fruits and vegetables. She takes supplemental Chinese herbs, and shuns medication, even a simple aspirin.

You might be surprised to find Clarke living in a 55-and-older community in Pembroke Pines, given that she sometimes starts her day with a triathlon before reporting to work at the Sheinberg Family YMCA of Weston.

Clarke serves as the aquatics supervisor and swimming coach there. She also oversees the newly formed YMCA Tri-Club. The multisport club is open to YMCA members age 15 and older for an additional $25 per month fee. It is geared to all levels of athletes from beginner to advanced. ``I started it to get new blood into the sport,'' Clarke said.

Clarke adheres to the philosophy that if trainees follow through with the ``three Ds,'' they can accomplish any feat.

Participants are given a training calendar, tailored to their level, at the beginning of the training session.

They're coached with intervals of swimming, spinning, running, outdoor bike rides, weight training and yoga each Tuesday and Thursday night and on Saturday mornings. The group trains at a variety of locations, including Vista View Park in Davie, Markham Park in Sunrise and Cypress Bay High School in Weston.

The remainder of the training is on the participants' own time and each person sets his own goal, Clarke said.

For more information on the Tri-Club, call 954-424-9622 ext. 225 or visit www.ytri.infralap.com.

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