Victory Triathlon

Last Saturday was a really hard day. 14 July 2018 - the date of our 6th Victory Triathlon.

For the past 5 years my triathlon club has hosted a triathlon, and every year I have been part of the organizing committee. However, it's a LOT of work, and Ian (our club's director and one of my best friends) wasn't sure if we were going to run to the race this year for a variety of reasons.... but I somehow persuaded him that we should do it. So him and I set off in the fall to start the planning. As I was in school and starting a new job in the O.R. I knew that I wouldn't have a lot of time to help out the extent that I have in years past, but did what I could, where I could, as the months started counting down.

But then, a month and half before our race, I was offered a job in Bangladesh, starting at the end of June. I felt awful to have to break the news to Ian, and let him know that for the first time since we started running our race, I wouldn't be there this year to help organize, plan, support, and run around pulling another all-nighter setting up on the Friday night before the race. As rough as those all-nighters are (moreso about noon the next day when the race is wynding down and you realize that for the past 5 hours you've been running around in a sleep-deprived haze, surviving on coffee and a half-eaten plate of pancakes that you've put down some table somewhere and discover as you're cleaning up), it's honestly my favourite part of the race. It's when you see the commitment of others, when you strengthen those bonds of friendship as you're running down the street for the 20th time staring at your Garmin's trying to find the exact right place to put the turn around signs, when you share a pitcher of smoothies by headlamp in the dark of night, and you get to witness your last year of planning finally come together.

So as I sat in my room getting play-by-play photo updates from my mom (who was there volunteering - THANK YOU!!!!), I was overwhelmed with sadness. I felt like I'd abandoned Ian and my AIA family... that I'd left them with minimal notice, and left them to fend for themselves. And it's not like they aren't incredibly capable people, but I felt like I should have done more. It was unbelieveably hard to sit there, half a world away, and watch these photos coming in, wishing that I was there. I wanted more than anything to be there that day, and for the first time since arriving here, I really missed home. I missed my family, my friends...and I missed being there for the race. It seems like a weird thing to be sad over, missing a race, but when you've put so much effort into the event over the past 6 years, I felt sick to miss it.

However, I am INCREDIBLY proud of everyone and beyond thankful for everyone that came to help out and make it an amazing day... so, from the bottom of my heart, THANK YOU!!! It's been incredible to see this race grow over the years, and i'm so blessed to be a part of that process. I'm already excited for Victory in 2019!

Below are a small sampling of the photos I was sent throughout the event, and some of the many wonderful people who were a part of making Victory Triathlon 2018 such a great day!

If you're interested in checking out the social media side of the event (which was managed from a small flat in Bangladesh), check these out:

www.instagram.com/victorytriathlon

www.facebook.com/victorytriathlon

www.victorytriathlon.ca