There are many reasons why we do different things in life. There are different paths to follow and new things to try. About 9 years ago, I started experiencing excruciating pain that wouldn’t let me move my legs. I had to use a wheel chair and was unable to walk for days. Being born with a double scoliotic arch (S shape) in my back, living a sedentary lifestyle, and being a little overweight all compounded to cause the intense sciatic pain I was experiencing. After many tests and visits with my doctor, the options were either surgery (unknown outcome) or a change in lifestyle.
On that day I made the decision to make a change in my life to improve the quality and longevity of my life. I joined a gym and started taking fitness classes. After a few months, I decided to give running on the treadmill a try. On that first run, I could only make it one "lap" around the digital track before I had to stop. I started waking up at 4:00 in the morning every day, packed my own meals, headed to the gym and then to work. After months living this new lifestyle, I started noticing changes in the way I felt and the pain started to go away.
In 2007, some new friends that I’d made at the gym came up with the idea of riding bikes, and in no time I had a new bike and was riding. Running and biking went on for a couple of years until a friend that was training for something called “triathlon” suggested that I should start swimming. At that point I knew how not to drown, but I was not a swimmer. With the support, help, and encouragement of friends, I started swimming a few times a week and got decent at doing it. In 2010, I decided to give triathlon a try and fell in love with the sport. All this while managing a full time job, family, and life.
None of that could have ever happened if not for the support of my family, friends and the local tri community. It has been eight years since I fell in love with the sport that changed my life for the better. In those eight years, I’ve done over a hundred multi-sport races (triathlon & duathlon), I've been an Ironman All World Gold Athlete three times, and I've qualified to be a part of Team USA at three World Championships. Nothing good ever happens overnight, it’s a journey that we need to take and enjoy every minute of. Clear goals, dedication, and hard work always pay off. Surrounding yourself with people that enrich your life is always a key to success. Follow your dreams and never take shortcuts!
Make sure to send your pictures from training and racing to: racing@paragontraining.org so we can showcase all the rad stuff you guys do.
San Antonio Triathlon Team - San Antonio Triathlon Coach