I read a great piece on Nicola Spirig this morning. As defending Olympic Champion in the sport of triathlon, Spirig has not exactly followed the conventional path of “cashing in” on her London success. Being a wife and mother are priority for the multi-talented Suisse, whose seemingly scant mainstream result palmares since 2012 has been the topic for debate for many an expert. Spirig says she has only planned for Rio and no further, in a sporting sense at least. Whilst there are those who might not be able to digest this fact it doesn’t matter to her. Triathlon only makes up but one part of Spirig’s existence and, if she does elect to retire after Rio, she is bound to prove that life after pro sport is as rich as one makes it.
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The human organism is not really designed for comfort. According to Tennessee Williams, the human race is best suited to a life that requires endurance, one that holds tight to “every inch of rock higher than the one caught hold of before.” The renowned playwright and author mulls over these and other points in his excellent – and ageless – essay, The Catastrophe of Success.
I’m currently immersed in the memoirs of the great – and idiosyncratic – Percy Cerutty. The titles “Be Fit or Be Damned!” and “Athletics: How to Become a Champion” were written in the 1960s and were perhaps ahead of their time. Much can be learned from the wiry Australians prehistoric pen, where the specifics of coaching, sport and life are delivered in a blunt yet wholly philosophical manner. While physical fitness and endurance are no doubt emphasized (there is an entire chapter devoted to deadlifting), passages that focus on living a full life, embracing the challenge of living and being a complete person are perhaps the more noteworthy elements in actually becoming a champion.
Rio 2016 begins this Friday. Much has been made about the suitability of the Brazilian city for hosting the event, not to mention possible/probable exclusions of athletes and entire countries. The Australians kicked up a fuss about their living quarters and moved to a hotel while Team South Africa is apparently quite content with their Village apartments. The velodrome appears incomplete while triathletes practice their beach starts in the sun and surf of the Copacabana. Under the watchful eye of Corcovado Mountain of course.
Media and trivia aside, just making it to the Olympic Games has been a four year journey in itself. And with that said, many a lesser light flying under the radar makes the Games such a lottery in terms of potential results and outcomes. The other night I watched a telecast of a fairly recent ITU World Cup triathlon in Hungary. Bearing in mind that this event is plays second fiddle to the premiere World Triathlon Series, one thing that stood out was the hunger and determination of the participants, which included at least a few Rio-qualified athletes. Who is Yuliya Yelistratova I wondered, as the diminutive Ukrainian sliced her way through the field to claim second place. A twice Olympian I discovered, soon to be thrice come Saturday 20 August. Years of understated consistency pepper Yelistratova’s long palmares, yet also many disappointments and DNFs. It’s not like she’s going to Rio for fun or to make up the numbers, especially with all of this water under the bridge. Немає (read: no): the Ukrainian is there to achieve the best possible result, no matter the path taken.
And so it continues, even after sporting goals have been achieved and national kit been distributed to family and friends as mementos. It, one might ask? What is “it”? The desire and drive to make a difference and fulfill ambition, sometimes in other directions.
At least two former Olympians are bound for Brazil as national coaches or managers. Douglas Ryder and Kate Roberts have been named among Team South Africa’s management staff in road cycling and triathlon respectively. Interestingly, both of these former professional athletes have histories of largely self-funded and self-directed Olympic campaigns. Ryder’s plugging away in a small American team a supported locally by a Cape Town bike shop made up the bulk of his Atlanta 1996 campaign while Roberts’ effectively paid her own way to Beijing and London. Tennessee Williams says the time to actually “live” is short and, once it is gone, really is gone. The fact that these two former Olympians are carrying on living their sport in other capacities is evidence that yes, there is indeed “life” after pro sport.
