MARS — Christopher Georgiadis keeps the first-place ribbons and trophies he has won in his bedroom.

It's a wonder there's room for anything else.

Georgiadis, 11, of Mars has been competing in youth triathlons for a little more than two years.

In his first triathlon, held at Westminster College in Aug. 2005, Georgiadis won his age group with a time of 10 minutes, 20 seconds.

It was a sign of things to come.

Georgiadis competed in five youth triathlons in the spring and summer, winning four of them. He also set a new record time in the North Park Triathlon.

"I am a bit surprised at how well he's done in the first couple of years," said Christopher's father, Steven. "But his determination is unbelievable."

The sixth-grader at Mars Elementary also plays football, basketball and baseball in the Mars youth leagues, but his sports passion lies elsewhere.

"Triathlons are my favorite," the younger Georgiadis said. "They include swimming, biking and running, and those are my three favorite things to do.

"Swimming is my favorite event," he said. "That's where I can blow the other kids away."

Of all the rewards he's won, Georgiadis is most proud of the one triathlon he did not win this summer — the Lake Cayuga Triathlon in central New York.

The youngest age group was for entrants who were age 14 and under. Georgiadis placed third in that category behind two older competitors.

Georgiadis admits there are points during a triathlon where his body tells him to stop.

All triathletes face that, but only those who focus on the next stroke or stride finish the race.

"At that point, I just keep going," he said.

Georgiadis is an avid swimmer, swimming year-round with the Pine-Richland Aquatic Program.

That involvement has helped increase his stamina, a must for triathletes, young and old.

Christopher also competed in five 5K runs over the last six months, finishing first in four of them.

But, then, an active lifestyle is all that he has ever known.

"When he was very young, I'd run three to five miles, four or five days per week, and I'd take him with me," said the elder Georgiadis.

"I realized that he had a lot of stamina because he would always stay with me. Now, I can't keep up with him."

Between homework, swimming, training for triathlons and practice for the Mars youth teams, Saturday is when Christopher gets some down time.

He spends it playing PlayStation and hanging out with friends.

But he's always eager to get back in the pool, on the bike or on the road because, as he explains, "I want to compete in triathlons for the rest of my life."

That's music to his father's ears.

"If he's good enough to do something (athletically) after high school, God bless him," he said. "But I just hope he continues to stay in shape and enjoy just being able to go out on a 15-mile bike ride or a 4-mile run."