My father passed away just before Ironman Lake Placid and I had to fly out to Greece the weekend before the race for his funeral. I then had to come home to work two overnight ER shifts, wake up after a three hour nap, and start the nine hour drive north. To compound all of the emotions, this is only two months after my divorce.
This picture captures everything- the exhaustion from the hardest race I’ve ever done, the relief from having finished, the grief from losing my father and my marriage, and the satisfaction of knowing that I was able to persevere. Yet more than that is the surprise and absolute joy of seeing my two children in the background of the pic (over my right arm) cheering me on. This is why I do these events. It strips me down to my bare emotions and makes me feel truly alive- and hopefully inspires others in the process. I hope that whatever obstacles you find in your way you persevere too. There’s just no feeling quite like knowing you gave it your all.