My First Triathlon
I went to high school with Rochelle Shoretz and she epitomized what it meant to be larger than life. Three years ago, I met Rochie for breakfast and she planted the seed. She told me, “You should do a triathlon. It will be fun.” At the same time, a friend said I should do one, saying I “had the personality for it.”
At the end of last summer, as I reached a crossroads in my life, I decided it was the right time for a welcome distraction- to train for a triathlon.
But I didn’t think I could do it. I knew that although I could bike, I could run only half a block. I couldn’t swim a straight line and got out after one lap thinking I was having an asthma attack. So what helped me? Purchasing the right gear, hooking up with the best coaches and consistently practicing. The second lap and the first half mile is the hardest for me. But once I get past that mark, I just go.
As part of Team Sharsheret, I will be completing my first triathlon at West Point on August 16th. I aim to complete the race in Rochie’s memory, in honor of my grandmother, a breast cancer survivor and for my father, a physician like no other who has touched the lives of countless women affected by breast cancer. And finally, I’m doing this for myself. Because I don’t have to be first. I just have to finish.
