Posted: June 6, 2005

Triathlon: Why we race

By Siri Lindley

When I was in high school, someone once said to me, “Only those who dare to lose, win.” This really struck a chord with me and has since then affected many of my actions in life.

I remember applying to colleges. What a scary time. This was my future; this would determine all the final stops on my train of life. Of course, in hindsight, I realize I was putting a bit more pressure on myself than necessary.

I figured that the more colleges I applied to, the better chances I had of getting into one. But I did know that I would surely be rejected by many of them. So, this was the first time I really remember daring to lose in order to win. I spent long nights and early mornings filling out applications and losing myself in my sea of doubts. I was afraid of what the future held, fearful that I didn’t have what it takes to make the cut. How about trying out for your first peewee baseball team, swim team or school band? Remember how the closer it got to the final cuts, the more you wanted to make it. It became almost a life or death situation. What would we possibly do if we didn’t make it? Would we survive? Could we look our friends in the eyes again? It was scary, but it was a situation we encounter thousands of times over in our lifetimes. In those days, I can only remember just waiting, praying, hoping that I had what it takes to make the team, get accepted into college or catch the eye of that cute boy. Of course, I would do whatever I could to stack the odds in my favor. I would practice often and with great effort and diligence. I tried to write my greatest literary works for all my college application essays and would be sure to wear my finest velour sweater, corduroy pants and butterfly barrettes to direct the boys’ attention my way. But that is all I could do. Then it became a waiting game, which took place in the stadium of my mind that was filled with a sold-out crowd of doubt, fear and anxiety.

My only defense in handling the unruly visitors to my mind’s stadium was to turn my fear into opportunity. I used my fears help motivate me to take a closer look at how I am doing things and how I can improve. By this I mean that I made my fears productive -- I saw them all as chances to move forward.

So it is with the sport of triathlon. We know that triathlon isn’t just played in the pool, on the roads and on the trails. We achieve success in the sport through dedication and hard work – and by overcoming what can often be the biggest obstacle to success: the limitations we place upon ourselves.

Often, particularly if our training and racing isn’t going particularly well, we can become doubt ridden question our participation. But put aside the great fitness we achieve through training, the friends we meet and look inside to all the daily challenges we set for ourselves and the sense of pride we take in meeting and overcoming these challenges as we meet our goals. We come to know ourselves more intimately and we come to appreciate the struggles and the pleasures involved in mastering ourselves through our sport.

Known for her devestating run splits, two-time World champion, Siri Lindley, dominated the ITU World rankings for two years in 2001 and 2002. Even after she retired from competition, Siri was still ranked #1 in 2003.
Having achieved all of her goals in professional triathlon competition, Siri is now "giving it back" coaching ITU and age-group triathletes and duathletes.
In addition to coaching, Siri focuses her professional interests on event commentary, motivational speaking and broadcasting.
Visit her website at: Siri-Lindley.com