Merry Christmas!  In what has become my favorite week of the entire year…I have decided to finally make a decision about the winner of my 2013 Pay It Forward athlete.

First, thanks to everyone who entered.  I was touched by all your stories and honestly, wanted to sell my house, SUV and start a non-for profit organization to do more with my time and energy —  You all are amazingly inspiring!

Courtney Javorski is the winner!  Courtney is a 35 year old mother of two (teenager + toddler) and has always dreamed about doing an Ironman.  During the pregnancy of her 2nd child, she was diagnosed with cancer.  Courtney went through all the chemo, radiation, drugs and every thing else to beat cancer.  Two years later, her cancer came back.  Here is an exert from her email to me:

Things were looking up & I was about to hit my 2 year mark of being cancer free in June of 2011, but on April 20th of that year, (I’ll never forget the date cause triathlon season was getting started) during one of my many scans I was told that cancer had come back. Devastated, blind-sided, and confused were only some of the emotions I was feeling. I was given such good odds, 90 percent chance it would never return. How could I be that 10 percent?! Depression set in as everything that followed happened so fast. I began my chemo & radiation treatments in May & had some not so pleasant side effects. Skin blistering & darkening, bruising from needles & shut down veins, loss of appetite, fatigue…

Of course, in addition to the challenges of cancer itself, Courtney also has the financial, personal and professional challenges that rear their ugly head when we go through a life- altering illness.

I am hoping, with some help from me, Courtney can reach her goal of crossing an Ironman finish line in 2013!

Congratulations Courtney!

Courtney will start blogging in the New Year, so she can keep you updated on her journey.

Merry Christmas & Happy 2013!

Dear Santa:

This year my Christmas list is not going to be about world peace or pleasesellmyhouse.  Instead, it is going to be about Triathlon and what I want to ask for Christmas and 2013.

• Please just give us Midwesterners some sun this winter.  We are not greedy.  Just would like maybe 1-2 days/week of some sunshine to keep everyone from screaming at one another.

• How about a little bit of gratitude instead of entitlement?  I know times have changed, but this sense of entitlement has spilled out into our great sport of Triathlon and I liked it best back in the day where everyone was grateful for everything.  My biggest pet peeve is when people are not grateful for things.

•  Can you please help me out with Training Peaks?  I love the software and it is a product I am extremely grateful for, but can you please get my athletes to fill it out on a regular basis?  I cannot read minds (that could be a “wish list” item actually) and I cannot make magic (another “wish list” item) but if I am not updated on Training Peaks on a regular basis then my job becomes infinitely harder.  As a Type-A athlete, I cannot wrap my head around this one for whatever reason.

• How about a little sharing and love?  I think this is one of the professions where Triathlon coaches are multiplying by the day.  Some of that is good – and some of that is not so good.  I think there is enough room for various coaches – the good ones always prevail anyway.  However, what happened to all of us coaches talking about different ways to get the best out of our athletes?  For some reason there are “secretive” discussions going on instead of open discussions, forums, emails and more open communication so we can all grow – learn from one another – and make the best triathletes we can.   As I always say, coaching triathlon is not life or death…and there are no secrets…just about building relationships and figuring how what really works for each athlete.  I would love to get a small group of Triathlon coaches together on a monthly open discussion to bounce ideas off of and help one another become better coaches.  I really see a need for this.  And, I wish other coaches would reach out for help!  We can all help one another.

• And, building on the above, what about female athletes?  Please help them understand that we need to support one another (we can use this for politics & religion too, right?), SUPPORT each other’s differences,  different ideas on how to train, or what to race, or what to wear OR even different needs and desires in this sport.  NOT everyone wants to win.  NOT everyone wants to go gluten-free (or whatever it is).  People make their own choices.  IT IS OK and we do not have to approve.  If we all would remove ourselves from all of this – think about how refreshing that would be AND how much time we would have to do other things – like train and recover!

• Santa, can you please provide patience for these athletes…and remind everyone it is December.  I do not need to see PRs in December or massive miles in December.  Instead, please ask everyone to enjoy the holidays.  Drink some egg nog.  Partake in some holiday drinks and eat Christmas cookies.  In fact, please do not weigh yourself in the entire month of December.  Does it really matter when your “A” race is in June?  July?  No, not at all.  And, please remind these athletes that the WILL be running slower, swimming slower and biking slower in December.  That is the plan.  Remind these athletes that it does all come back…when the time is right.  Unless these athletes are racing an IM in March, they need to relax.

• I know this is a big “please”, but can you please remind have athletes that IF they ask what things will make them faster, better and more efficient, then they need to listen and implement.  I spend a lot of time talking to athletes and discussing what they need to work on in the New Year, what will make them faster…and what they need to work on.  Inevitably, it is hard to change and mix things up.  Change is scary.  But, honestly, if they keep doing what they were doing – then they cannot expect different results.  IF the athlete has been talking about going to Masters or a Group run – THEN go.  Please do not blow it off, make excuses and then complain that their swimming is stagnant…or they are bored in the pool.  The options are in front of them.  Get out of your comfort zone and take some risks.  If you don’t want to change, then just stop complaining.  We all make choices.  Commit yourself and step up in 2013.  Face your fears.

• Can you please invent a shocker that will give an athlete a shock every time they compare themselves to anyone else.  No need to kill anyone, just a shock that is strong enough to slap them when they start thinking silly things and want to run 100 miles in December because they ate too much pie or their best friend is doing it “just because.”

• Santa, can you please help the athletes understand the joy of this sport?  That we are supposed to do this for FUN.  It is a hobby for 99% of these athletes.  Help them understand that we need balance, we need structured plans, we need a mentor, a cheerleader and a master weaver…someone to weave everything seamlessly together for the benefit of the athlete.  Can you please tell them that it is a privilege to have the funds and health AND TIME to do this sport.  I know many people that would kill to do this sport – but for many, many reasons, some we could never even imagine, they cannot.  Remind these athletes that this is a privilege not a chore.  Getting up at 5am and getting into a cold pool is NOT a chore.  It is a privilege.

• Remind athletes to thank others.  Remind athletes to THANK their local businesses, their race directors, their governing body, their mentors/coaches, their teammates, and their family.  During the holiday season, really step back and remember who and what helped you achieve your goals this year and say THANKS.  It goes a long way and doesn’t take too much time.

I realize this is a very tough list, Santa.  And, last time I sent you a tough list was when a teenager and I wanted to be like Michael Jordan – and we all know how that worked out.  So, please, this time around, help me out!?

Thanks and Merry Christmas!  xo