The laundry is done, but not yet put away…my attempt to prolong my official and complete re-entry after a most memorable trip to Australia for the ITU World ChampionshipsWhile the race itself was incredible, it is the people who made the greatest impressions. As I settle back in here in Chico, my 13 teammates (Bill and Shawn included) are at the forefront of my mind. I don’t know how we pulled this off, really, other than we have an amazing, cohesive group with a coach who pushes and prods us to be the best we can be. I can’t stop thinking about the eclectic group we have assembled and the fact that we are in no way shape or form full time athletes. Most of us work full time, and train when we can, and still our results are noteworthy. Maybe balance is the key.First and foremost, our 72 year old world champion: Margaret Bomberg! I want to be like Margaret when I grow up. Actually, I want to be like her right now! This woman raced 3 world championship races in 5 days. And if that wasn’t enough, she was heading to Cairns the day after the race to scuba dive. What touched me about Margaret is her proud sashay to the podium. She was beaming and when she got up there, she was dancing and smiling and having a great time. If anyone deserved to get #1 in the world, it’s her. More notably, perhaps is her impact on other Team USA mem bers. After the Olympic race you could find about 5 of Margaret’s friends from all over the USA waiting to congratulate her in the finish corral, a testament, no doubt to the kind of person and friend she is. Margaret has been to 3 worlds and I honor her (and Mary Ann) for paving the way to Worlds for the rest of us. Thank you Margaret.Mary Ann: Travels more than she trains. Her 10th place finish on Saturday is a window into her innate athleticism and determination. Gaby: Our blog reporter who put a face and name to our journey. Gaby experienced injuries this year so she was not able to maximize her training. I know she had to readjust her goals for worlds throughout the year. For an athlete as gifted as Gaby, I know this was difficult. I am proud of her for her perspective on the experience, her good attitude toward the race and her unending, unselfish support as she herself struggled. What a gift.Elizabeth: This girl never rested until the week before Worlds. I hardly saw her all week, as she was napping, and resting, and hibernating. It did her good, as she had a great race. Elizabeth rode so fast on the bike that I missed her the first time around!Teresa: Our renaissance woman who raises sheep, spins wool, knits socks and rides like the wind. Not surprisingly our fastest time for the Olympic Distance. Susan: Broke her foot 6 months ago, with pins and screws and plates in her ankle. Did this stop her? NO! She dedicated herself to hours and hours of physical therapy to be able to compete in worlds and not only did she race in the Olympic tri, she did the Aquathon as well. I hear those Danes are a hard headed lot! It paid off for Susan!Joanne: Our Boston Marathoner turned lemons into lemonade. With her plantar fascitis so bad in June that she could not run, Joanne turned her attention to the bike. Her incredible success on her TTs and races in Newport and AUS were buoyed up by her willingness to press on inspite of not being able to run. The 40 – 44 age group better watch out, as I know Joanne is determined after finishing only a few minutes off the podium. Reene: My age group competitor who pushes me to beat her every time out. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. I thank her for not taking our head to head competition personally. If I beat Reene on any given day, I KNOW I”ve had a good race as she is an animal out there on the course. Thanks for your contagious smile and laughter and for being our team mechanic and for hauling all the tools to AUS. Darlene: Up at 4am every morning to drive a forklift, traveling 30 min. to Chico to train after work…how does she do it? She simply PRed at Worlds. Anne: In her 4th triathlon of her life, Anne places 7th in the WORLD! I can’t stop shaking my head about that one. Kim: Kim swears she’s giving up triat hlons and is going to focus on cycling. I hope she doesn’t. When one places 6th in the world, how can one quit? I even think she is beginning to like running (she won’t admit it), now if she could only ditch the fins!Bill: A triathlon turned duathlon qualifier, and Bill gets into Worlds. I love how he was able to join us and become an honorary member of the Women’s tri club. His resilience after the death of his parents this past year is admirable. Shawn: Our second honorary member did his first triathlon in AUS. I wonder if it will be the last? Other inspirational people at Worlds: 1. The paratriathletes (need I say more?) 2. Nancy Templeton (Team USA) who broke her arm 2 weeks before the race and couldn’t participate, but donned a volunteer t-shirt and was passing out medals to finishers, 3. Kim, who loaned $100 bucks cash to Andy (Team USA) whom she did not know from anyone, so he could buy a new tire, 4. Patrick, who endured hours and hours of racing and took 900 photos of the event, 5. Australians, forever kind, happy, and pleasant folks, who truly seem to have “no worries.” 6. Parents, friends and family members supporting and cheering at home and in AUS for their loved ones (I spoke to an athlete’s mother who had traveled from Beirut, Lebanon to watch her daughter race the AG sprint for Team USA, and there were countless others who did the same, including Mary, Reene s mom, and Darlene’s family), 7. The sole competitor in the 8 0 – 84 age group who made me realize that maybe this sport is not about being the fastest, but about lasting the longest!In a few days, I won’t remember my time, place or splits. What I will remember, in the years to come, is the great time I had with all of you in AUS and the constant inspiration and motivation you have given me over the years. As Gaby said several times over the course of the week, we will have this “forever.”
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