Words from Chrissie Wellington

For those who follow the world of professional triathlon, and for those who don't, the current world champion Chrissie Wellington (UK) has some things to say that are worth listening to. This is a girl who entered the sport at a very late age, having discovered that she had a talent for it when she began running and biking to avoid weight creep in her late twenties. She left a successful career in International Development to become a professional triathlete a few years back, and has gone on to smash just about every record in the sport since. She has become known for never, ever racing without a smile and she hangs around the finish line to greet every finisher for hours (and hours and hours) after she has won.

I admire her for what she's done athletically, but more importantly admire her for what she has to say. She caught my attention when I heard an interview where she referred to her struggle with the idea of committing 30+ hours a week of her life to triathlon training, when there were bigger problems out there in the world that need addressing (she was working for an NGO in Nepal at the time). She described it as seeming 'so self-indulgent'. It's a theme she repeats here in a recent interview she gave; but it sounds like she's finding a way to use her athletic talent to make a difference in the ways that she wants to, and for things that she quite frankly thinks are more important. This is an athlete who has her eye on a bigger picture and her place in it. I've heard reporters refer to her as being a 'down-to-earth' athlete, but I don't think this does her justice: her off-the-field communication parlays a depth of character and a worldview that I find refreshing and inspiring in the world of professional sport. And yet she makes no bones about being out to win every event.

KM: I've always said that you learn more about yourself during an Ironman than you do in so much of life. You probably did your first Ironman in a different light to the rest of us – you'd already seen quite a bit of the world and life by the time you got to Korea. What have you learned about yourself during your various Ironman races? Do you like what you've learned?

Chrissie: Training and racing is a continuous learning process, with huge highs and deep lows – much like life itself! I have learnt so much about myself over the past two and a half years - to calm down, to rest my mind, to think more logically, to act more deliberately (this is a particular struggle, as evidenced by the fact that I recently walked into a cement bench, and have spent the last three weeks hobbling around!), to be patient, to believe in myself …and much more besides. But yes, triathlon has taught me so much, both from looking deep into myself and reflecting on my personality, and my strengths and weaknesses - and also from watching people around me. You realise the body’s amazing capacity to endure pain, that the mind and body are so much stronger than we may give them credit for, to be calm in the face of adversity, to cope with defeat. In terms of “do I like what I have learned?” I think back to what Paula Newby Fraser once said -‘Be kind to yourself.’ So, yes, although I am my own harshest critic, I am trying to do just that – to like what I am learning, and be kind to myself at all times!

KM: What would it mean for you to win Kona again? On a related note, how important are records for you – both the world best time last July and the course record in Kona?

Chrissie: It would mean that I am the best in the world for one more year! And that is a huge honor, achievement and a tremendous opportunity and privilege. I always race with three goals. To cross the line first, to enjoy it and to try and win in the fastest time possible. If that means I break a course or world record then that’s the icing on the very tasty cake, but the victory is always first and foremost in my mind. There are too many variables affecting times, year on year and race on race. It makes comparisons really difficult. Plus, I am a total numerical retard …as many of my training partners know, I can’t even do 300m in the pool without losing count! As far as records go, of course, I am so happy and proud to have my name etched in the triathlon history books. By breaking records I hope to show that women are a force to be reckoned with, that we can get faster and stronger, and raise the bar for future athletes to aspire to. But to know deep inside that I have given it everything is the most important thing.

KM: Brett Sutton, along with one of your former teammates, both told me you're not in this to just win triathlons – that you have much more of a “mission”...what is it that you'd like to achieve within triathlon?

Chrissie: Not long after I started as a professional in February 2007, I remember saying to Brett ‘I feel so selfish. All I do is swim, bike and run – and this is all for me. I am not helping to make the world a better place’. And he replied ‘Chrissie, just you wait, before too long you will be able to effect change in a way you never thought possible’. Brett is so perceptive and wise, and of course two years on – yes, I have the platform that I have always dreamed of to achieve my mission, and bring about positive change. That’s partially why winning is so important to me. Of course I am a fierce competitor, and I love to work hard, smash myself and fight for every victory – but through every victory I have more of an opportunity. To speak about things I am passionate about, to inspire and encourage others, to lead by example, be a role model for change, to raise the bar, to raise awareness about important issues, including GOTRIbal (www.gotribalnow.com) and also setting up my own NGO in the UK in the future. And that’s something I never want to take for granted, and which drives me each and every day.

Within triathlon – swim, bike, and run alone – I want to be the best that I can be, to work as hard as I can, lay everything on the line and push myself to reach my full potential. I don’t have goals in terms of the number of races I want to win, or times I want to do, I simply want to do my best, and strive to be as strong as I can physically and mentally. And through this, yes I want to achieve so much more, in and out of sport.