Fear This article was originally published in Triathlete Magazine, 1999 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 but really, at the time, you feel as though being accepted into college is a significant rite of passage into your future. I figured that the more colleges I applied to, the better chances I Had of at least 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, 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 pee wee 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 a necessary situation that we would 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 to catch the eye of that cute blond boy with the ruffled hair, black converse high tops and green Polo shirt. Of course, I would do whatever I could to push the chances to my advantage. I would practice often and with great effort and diligence. I tried to write my greatest literary work for all my college application essays and would be sure to wear my finest velour sweater, corduroy pants and butterfly barretts to direct the blond boy’s 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 minds stadium was to turn my fear into opportunity. Have my fears help motivate me to take a closer look at how I am doing things and how I can improve upon them to dissipate these fears. By this I mean that I made my fears productive, I saw them all as chances to move forward. They ignited one huge question in my mind: am I willing to risk? To risk facing these fears head on, to not let them stand in the way of my dreams? I chose to do that, and have continued to aim for this strategy in every challenging situation I come up against. It is a matter of commitment. By commitment I don’t mean investing time in whatever it is you are trying to achieve, although that is an important ingredient in the whole thing. Commitment is crossing this imaginary line between just going through the motions and really going for it: enlisting your heart, your soul and every part of you. Accepting the risk of this investment and bringing forth all your courage to the your goal and your vision and the whole journey within. I am so inspired by our sport of Triathlon. The level of commitment overflowing from athletes all over the globe. Athletes of all ages, shapes, sizes and background. Each one of us seemingly in touch with the real nature of our sport. We know that the game of triathlon isn’t just played in the pool, on the roads and on the trails. The triathlon venue is mostly played within our hearts, our minds and our souls. Our biggest opponent being ourselves and the limitations we create through our fears. This is the beautiful thing about our sport. Put aside the great fitness we achieve through training, the friends we meet, and look inside to all the daily challenges we ourselves provide. The great fulfillment we receive when we put our fears aside, use them to our advantage, persevere and risk. We reach a new level physically and internally. We come to know ourselves more intimately and we come to appreciate the struggles and the pleasures involved in mastering our selves through our sport. Back to Articles Page

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