Previous Postings
- Summertime Goals Reinforce Life’s Lessons
- A Better Plan and Media Training Would Have Helped McChrystal and Staff
- South Africa Scores as Host of World Cup 2010
- Putting Your Finger on the Emergency Button: BP Crisis Underscores Need for Preparedness Training
- Why You Should “StumbleUpon” Social Media
- Our Corporate Mistakes Exposed on the Great White Way
Rather than taking the usual approach to the summer season – like George Gershwin’s song “Summer Time and the Living is Easy” – this year I decided to tackle a personal goal: compete in my first triathlon. And as with accomplishing most goals, a few of life’s lessons were reinforced along the way.
Lesson #1: There is strength in numbers
I joined Team in Training – the world’s largest charity organization that supports endurance events and raises money to support the mission of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS): to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. Along with my team of 40 other aspiring triathletes, I signed on to train for our Olympic distance triathlon event (1.5k swim, 40k bike and 10k run) to take place in New Hampshire, while also individually fundraising a minimum of $3,600 for LLS’ cause.
The team camaraderie was incredibly supportive, and with every swim stroke, pedal and step, I kept in mind that though this might be physically challenging for me, it was no comparison to what cancer patients experience on a daily basis as they fight for their lives.
I was also overcome by the tremendous generosity of my loved ones, colleagues, friends, and complete strangers in donating their hard-earned dollars toward the cause of LLS. At every venue where I fundraised – work, happy hours, grocery stores, parades, football games, concerts, etc. – people would respond with kindness and generosity when I told them I was raising money toward a cure for cancer. Not only did I reach my minimum of $3,600, my team raised more than $130,000 for LLS in just six months!
Lesson #2: When it rains, it pours (literally)
After months of preparation and training, we showed up for the race feeling great! But on race-day morning, the skies opened up with a torrential downpour and mighty thunderstorm. As we couldn’t swim amongst the abundant lightning, the race directors canceled the swim and turned the race into a duathlon (bike followed by a run). The disappointment of racers was almost tangible – for me, and for many of my teammates, this was to be our first triathlon, and it was a huge letdown to not be able to compete. Despite the change in plans, there was still a race to be conquered, so we proudly sported our Team in Training racing apparel and crossed the finish line with smiles on our faces.
Lesson #3: Victory does indeed taste sweet
With the desire to complete a full triathlon at the forefront of my mind, I immediately signed up for a race in Long Branch, N.J. when I returned from New Hampshire. With the accomplishment of my triathlon goal having been delayed, crossing the finish line in Long Branch two weeks after the duathlon was just that much more exciting and exhilarating knowing that I’d finally attained my personal goal.
Do you have a personal goal this year? Tell us @sternassociates.
By Abigail Losh, Senior Account Executive, Stern + Associates
The Stern + Associates blog serves as a forum for our staff to express and share personal opinions related to communications, public relations and topics of interest in our changing world. Blog content doesn't necessarily reflect the point of view of our organization's management.