What Triathletes Can Learn from Olympic Champions
Like most of you, I LOVE watching the Summer Olympics. I’m a huge fan of track and field and love taking in a good number of other events as well. As I watched, I often felt inspired to get off the couch and go run 10 miles right then and there. But I didn’t want to miss the next event, so I stayed put on that couch with popcorn and a TV remote in hand.
There were some incredible performances and a few disappointments. What can us age-group multisport athletes learn from watching these amazing athletes?
1 – You can do what you never thought possible.
One of my favorite moments was watching Cole Hocker come from behind to beat the two best in the world in the 1,500m. He beat his own PR by three seconds, setting a new Olympic record for that distance. Insane. Incredible. Though 1,000 times less important, I can recall having races where I achieved what I never thought possible.
Standing on the #1 spot on the podium at age-group nationals in Burlington, VT, back in 2013 was beyond belief. Seriously. Could. Not. Believe. It. I’d somehow achieved what would have seemed utterly, completely impossible just a short time before. YOU, too, can accomplish something that you’d never have dreamed. “You are an Ironman,” or something of the sort. This sport allows us to see dreams realized.
2 – It’ll take years.
In most of the post-race interviews we’ve been watching we hear the athletes talk about how it’s taken years of commitment, blood, sweat, and tears to get to a place of receiving an Olympic medal. Years. Countless hours that no one sees. I started triathlon in 1994. Nineteen, yes, 19 years later, I won a National Championship. Be patient. Don’t measure progress day by day, week by week, or even month by month. Year-by-year is the only way to measure things. For #1 above to be realized, it’ll take a long time, so keep grinding.
3 – It’ll take a team.
Some of the most favorite races are the relays. Get that baton around the track ASAP or AFAP, (F=fast). Certain athletes will take home an Olympic medal only because they were on a relay team. Good enough, but apart from the other three athletes, they’d go home empty-handed. Think too of their family and friends in the stands cheering for them. They, too, are on the team. No way I could have accomplished what I have without a huge team of people who have helped, coached, provided gear and services, encouraged, prayed for, and believed in me. Don’t go this path alone. You need a team.
4 – Compete for a purpose bigger than yourself.
Every athlete I’ve cheered for has a few letters on their racing tops. Three letters. U.S.A. These men and women are not just running for personal accomplishment or glory. They are running for and representing an entire nation, which, we all know, gives greater motivation! They win and run around the track with ‘Ol Glory draped around their shoulders. Their testimonies in the post-race interviews often reflect the incredible pride they have in representing and running for the United States of America. They carry the nation on their shoulders as they blaze around the track.
I put on my racing kit this year, “Stop Human Trafficking.” That’s something that has hit me hard last year and this year. It’s horrific, and so I race with a message…a desire…a hope to see this end. Find something you believe in or represent or want to be a rep for and get out front and center with it.
Finally, we’ve become familiar with certain names – Gabby, Sydney, Cole, Noah, Kung Fu Kenny, Anna, Rai, and the list goes on. They inspire us and motivate us with their commitment to their goals. What a joy to watch them race. What pride I feel as I stand in front of the TV, literally yelling, cheering for them! I’m thankful for the Olympics and the inspiration and joy it brings. I’m already looking forward to 2028 and Los Angeles! But, for now, I need to get to the pool! Now, where did I put my goggles?
