Over the next couple of weeks the Triathlon Tuesday post will be a guest post done by one of our team members. I thought it might be fun for you to meet the team and to hear how and why they came to join the team and what the process and training has meant thus far to them. To kick it off is the first person I asked, the first person who said yes, Meet Shelly."Hi my name is Shelly Connnors, and I think I may have hit insanity about a month ago"
Conversation about one month ago...
Megan: "Want to do a triathlon with me?"
Me: "You're funny I can hardly doggie paddle" Thoughts through the day, evening, night (terrors), morning: "This would be a good discipline through the summer, fun with friends, could we find a non-profit to benefit"
Next morning ---
Me: "Meg - I think I'll do it, but don't make it public."
The next few days lots of thoughts and lots of questioning myself and wondering what I got in to occured. Then came the twist of benefiting World Vision which made it seem so much more worthwhile and a goal to work for. Then it hit facebook it was as if I had signed on the dotted line.
So, here we are a month later. A lot has been sacrificed to work this training into my schedule. I am a busy mom of one almost 6 year old who thinks it is so cool that I am going to race for World Vision. It is about a daily question of when the race is, so it is now on the calendar for all to see. My husband is extremely supportive as he encourages me to hit the trail and reminds me how good it will feel when I get out there. He never complains when I am gone at night training. Wearing my Team World Vision bracelet has been a conversation piece as I go to my patients' homes as a home health nurse.
I have to admit the motivation in starting this was to spend time with friends and get off my duff - hoping to get a habit formed that will continue past the triathlon. This has already gotten off to a great start. Then when Megan shared the Team World Vision concept and I got so excited. It seems there are lots of races out there, but we wanted this particular event to benefit other people, not just ourselves, and not just for self accomplishment. I am very excited to raise the money to supply a well for a village in Africa. As we bike up the trail it is great motivation to see the Team World Vision shirt in front of me and makes me work that much harder to get to the goal.
And here is an interesting tidbit we were sharing as we swam tonight...is it just irony or a sign from God - the hardest part thus far, for all of us it seems, is the swimming, isn't if funny that our biggest struggle takes place in and is related to water....the very thing we are working so hard to bring to familes and communities in Africa...we get it God..it is not about us,this is about doing good for your people and for your glory.