New York City Triathlon

I arrived home from the City of Dreams on Friday, and one of the first things my 10 year old niece, Zoe, wanted to show me was this advert from H&M, which she had seen on YouTube. The words of the advert were as follows…… 

“I thought it was too late. I thought the goal was too far away. I felt like I couldn’t do it alone. Or with the entire world watching my every step.

I fought to belong and for my right to be different. I felt trapped – by my body and by what others expected of me. I had to find strength within me that I didn’t know I had. I questioned whether it was really worth it.

Nothing came easy. But nothing truly important ever does. To keep going, no matter what the obstacles, is what victory looks like. Whether you’re representing your country, or yourself” H&M Advert – Victory Sports Campaign

If you had said to me a year ago that I would be racing in the New York City Triathlon, 1 year after I had really started training seriously to do triathlons with just my arms, I probably would have thought, well maybe give it another year, say 2017, then I could consider New York.

As things moved on, and within the span of 12 months, I had raced up to 9 Triathlons, that’s nearly 1 race per month, all was coming together to just stretch my limits and take on my first international race, and not just a small one, the New York Triathlon. A city, which for sure doesn’t sleep, and for sure is where dreams are made!

If I wasn’t living in Cape Town, I would be living in New York that’s for sure! The week leading up to the race, I got to have an amazing few training rides, one around Central Park in my wheelchair and another along the Hudson river on my hand cycle.

No swimming yet in the Hudson River, I was saving that treat for race day!

The weekend of the race, was filled with expos, registrations, parathlete briefing meetings, social breakfasts with the other say 30 parathletes, with various forms of disabilities, all coming together to how far we could each dream!

My dad and my friend Joanne, were my “slaves” or handlers for the day but also the day before, getting all my equipment down to transition is no small task, and all hands that can work are pulled in!, Both of them earned their weight in gold, to have come to support me and do it without ever complaining once!

Was a very real moment finding my name on the board, amongst all the other athletes, Joanne thought, so to!

Waking up on race morning, I found was strange, why because for the first time, in all the races I have raced I did not feel nervous, anxious or wonder will I finish this one. There was a definite sense that this is the dream, this was the goal and this is the day, so let’s go get it!

The swim was a 1.5km swim down the Hudson River that meant we first had to walk about 2km up to the start, it was already getting hot. They had predicted a very hot day, and even shortened the run route by 2km due to heat before the start of the race.

Just after 7am, the PT1 (Hand cyclist/wheelchair athletes) jumped into the Hudson River and off we went. I came out with a time of 29 minutes, and mud all over my face! Off we were to run the 500 meters to where Transition was and onto my hand-cycle.

So they had said the ride was rolling hills, and lets just say they didn’t lie, this was a long ride, of 40km of rolling hills, there was not one flat piece of road. One hill, my watch said I was going down it at a speed of 85km/hour. I wasn’t concerned about the speed, that was fun, what I was concerned about is that, what goes down must come up, and I would have to come back up this hill! For 3 hours this is what went on…..one stretch of road I got to, it was quiet, no one else, all alone with my hills and my thoughts. In the distance I saw a police vehicle, and a police man get out his car and walk towards the centre of the road where I was cycling. As I got close to him, he stood to attention and saluted me as I road past him, I was totally taken a back, but it gave me tears but an added motivation to just keep going for some more hills!I came into transition, after 3 hours of being on the road, and 40km later.

Straight into my racing wheelchair to tackle the run, I am just about to take off, and something feels strange when I am pushing my chair, it’s not smooth as it usually is. And suddenly I realise my front wheel is as flat as a pancake. In my head I think I can’t believe this, to have come all the way to New York and I won’t finish because of a flat tyre. At this point most of the athletes were finished, already making their way back to get their equipment in transition, and here I am stuck. My dad ran off to go find a pump, while Joanne stood waiting with me. I thought, but what if it’s a puncture, a hole, therefore having a pump won’t make a difference. I turned looked at Joanne and said “ I am going, flat wheel and all, just tell my dad” and off I went.

The first section of the run is 3 blocks of 4 lanes, going up 72^nd street towards Central Park. I got into the centre of the road and started pushing my way up the 3 blocks. This was the moment, that was unexpected for me, as I did this, I had athletes, spectators, and anyone around suddenly stop and start cheering for me and clapping and that’s where I realised this was the moment, this was the time in which we can decide in life to keep going no matter what, or stop. I pushed the 4km on a flat wheel, how, I have no idea, I just did it. I was cut short in the run, and actioned straight to the finish line, due to the heat, therefore didn’t get to finish the entire run course as I was just too late.

I did however, go through that finish line, collect my medal and with a determined mind, tell myself this is only the beginning!! With a total time of 4hours 11 minutes.

So after 12 months, 10 races, bigger arms, bigger heart, determined mind, I have to say, I haven’t arrived! What I have done is open a door, a door that will lead me to many other doors, a door that opened when I pushed it open, a door that wasn’t locked, a door that was waiting to be opened, in the midst of all that was trying to keep it shut, I pushed it open and rolled right through!

New York was real, although at the moment it feels like I just woke up from a dream, it’s the reality versus the dream, and the reality of the dream that is a journey on its own.

A huge shout out to my two handlers, my dad and Joanne, they earned that medal as much as I did!

A huge shout out to my trainers, Neil and Greg, for getting me to that start line and getting me ready to cross the finish line!

A huge shout out to those who gave to me financially for this trip, without the generosity of you, I wouldn’t have gotten here and lived my dream!

A huge shout out to God, for building me up, making me strong, and giving me all I need to do what I get to do, especially when it’s hard. This is all for His glory!

What’s next, well after 12 months of intense training and racing, my coach has forced me to take 3 weeks off of scheduled training, what, do I do with myself J. And then back to the drawing board of what is next, I have some ideas, but all will be shared in good time!

Thanks again for all the support. I have to say though, this has been a journey of faith, one that I take without blinking at times. I am however still looking for some funds to cover the costs of this race, I took a risk going, but the risk is I am still about R39 000 ($3000) short, if you feel lead to give, please consider it. My bank details will be below 

For now, all I can say is, bye New York you were real, and I know if you can make it in New York you can make it anywhere!! #neverstopexploring #neverstopdreaming

To anyone who is, or would consider giving towards, this past race, financially, I am still needing some financial support, I dreamed big and with big dreams comes much needed support. I managed to raise $2575.00 but still short about $3000.00. Please let me know, or you can just deposit funds into my bank account.as per below. 

Bank: First National Bank
Account Name: Catherine van Staden
Account number: 62189209549
Account type: Savings
 Branch: Tokai
Branch code: 200 409
Branch Address: Shop No 10
                           Blue Route Mall
                           Tokai
                            7945

Swift code for international transfers: FIRNZAJJ 

“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.” Muhammad Ali

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I was chatting to a friend of mine last week while travelling in Madagascar,  and we joked a lot around disability, she is hard of hearing…mostly deaf and her husband is a quadriplegic, so we had some good “war” stories to share around our disabilities and where we have been and what we have experienced.

One of my stories I shared was how I “ran” or “ignored” or well tried to ignore my disability for nearly my entire life, till about the year 2012, if we take into account the day since I was born that would be nearly 33 years. Imagine running from something for 33 years, no wonder I was so tired.

My friend made an interesting comment, she said oh so in 2012 you came out of the closetJ. I had a good laugh, because yes it was as though when I realised I needed to stop running away from my disability and start running with my disability, it was as though the lights came on and the smelly closet was opened and I walked out or I should say rolled out.

Since leaving the closet (running from my disability), I have taken on many risks and impossible situations, I have found that having courage and taking risks proves that nothing is impossible.

The past few weeks, I raced in Sun City at the Ultra Triathlon, although I just did the sprint distance. I encountered some bike issues on the cycle and ended up being the only and last person on the run. Being last can be a little soul destroying, especially since you know people have already gone home. At one point pushing through the golf course part of the run, I hit a hill, a tough hill, that I couldn't push up and started rolling backwards, and even though I tried breaking my wheels were just sliding. With no one to help, I eventually spotted a golf caddy and called out for help and he came running over and pushed me up the hill, I have to say if he wasn't there, I might still be sitting at the bottom of that hill :). All in all not my best race but learnt more about pushing through my mind then anything else. And that being last is still ok, its about taking on the risk and having the courage and determination to finish.

On the 12th of May I ran the FNB 12 One run, a 12 kilometer road run, I met amazing kids from the Red Cross Children's Hospital who have disabilities and at times and even now are fighting for their lives. I pushed my heart out and smashed my time from last year’s race by 30 minutes, it was such a contrast to my Triathlon at Suncity the week before, but what it did do for sure was give me confidence that I am making progress and the risks are starting to pay off. As I ran through the streets of Cape Town, what was I thinking or seeing, I was envisioning the streets of New York and pushed myself knowing nothing is impossible!

  

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On the 24^th July 2016 I will be racing in the New York City Triathlon, I have registered, booked air tickets and been training. So yes it is happening and racing in the City of dreams will be a dream come true.

You know they say " IF YOU CAN MAKE IT IN NEW YORK YOU CAN MAKE IT ANYWHERE"

Our actions and all that we believe will continue to show our courage and how we decide to live our lives. I have never once wanted to go back to the closet, since facing my disability, and using it to my advantage I have found that the dreams I had given up on when I was a child, I am now living as an adult. I loved sport as a child wanted it to be my career, it’s not my career now, but I am doing sports and doing it in a way that no South African female has yet to do, taking on triathlons with just their arms. It might look different to what I thought it would look like as a kid, but it’s not what it looks like, its the fact that sports is sports and I get to compete with all my heart, knowing that leaning on hope, being courageous and racing with determination, I will continue to take on the impossible and risk my life with the impossible. 

I challenge you to think about what you’re running from and start running with it, come out and do what makes you feel alive.

I am still needing financial support for my trip to New York, if you would like to support my dream, there are two ways:

Deposit straight into my bank account (Preferred way):

Bank: First National Bank
Account Name: Catherine van Staden
Account number: 62189209549
Account type: Savings
Branch: Tokai
Branch code: 200 409

Swift code for international transfers: FIRNZAJJ

Or through my make a champ campaign.

https://makeachamp.com/catherinestaden

A small article on my organisations website:

http://www.cbmsa.org/Catherine-van-Staden-making-her-dreams-come-true-510459.php

thanks for journeying with me on this thing called "life"

“It's a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you're ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any.” ― Hugh Laurie

As I sat down to write this I realised I hadn’t written a blog since November 2015. So decided I better do it now! That’s crazy, why well more because if I think about the 4 Triathlons I have done since then, I could write book about them, but for now let’s try keep it to a short essay J, ok short I mean short and to the point, so keep reading you will be encouraged, inspired to dream and motivated that tomorrow is another day to start again on the journey of life and pursuing our dreams, and NOW is a good time as any.

On the 11^th December 2015 it became a reality, I officially finished an entire Triathlon with only the use of my arms and became the first south African woman to ever have done so, summoned up amazing by the following few words by Sean Falconer from Modern Athlete Magazine (Attached full article to read)

In December Catherine van Staden finally achieved her goal of finishing a triathlon, becoming the first South African female para-triathlete to complete an event using just her arms, and the emotion of the day got to everybody! There was not a dry eye in the house at prize-giving after the Jailbreak Triathlon near Worcester, as 36-year old Catherine van Staden received a special award from the organisers for completing the Minimum Escape 1.1km swim, 41km bike leg and 11km run leg. She fought back the tears when thanking all her fellow triathletes for their incredible support in this and earlier events, and you just had to look at the emotion on Dad Herman’s face to see what this finish meant to them both.

I closed my eyes after this race and suddenly found it was March 2016 and I was on my way to Bloemfontein to race in the African Paratriathlon Championships, what another incredible experience being my first race where I got to race amongst fellow Para triathletes, after having raced all my previous 7 races amongst able bodied athletes. I finished this race but unfortunately did not make the time cut off to receive a medal or ranking points.

A week later we are off to East London to race the ITU Paratriathlon opening race of the season. Here I found myself amongst some of the top athletes in the world, yes I asked myself the same question, how did I get to this point, I told you I blinked. I unfortunately did not finish this race as I got cut off on the cycle leg due to time, but I count this experience as more than having to finish a race but being part of one of the biggest growing sports currently, and finding friends in places I would never have expected. I realised at this race I need to not only “up my game” but meeting fellow wheelchair athletes, who have been doing this far longer than I have, encourages me to know that I will reach a place where, time in a race will no longer cut me off, and I will be racing for my personal bests to cross the finish line of future races.

I mean I have only been training for this type of paratriathlon racing for 11 months, and my arms are growing stronger by the day. There was a reason God made our legs stronger than our arms, to carry our body’s right. Don’t mess with me and my arms they are gaining some serious muscles unlike my legs!!

The quote I stated above, makes sense, we will never know when we are ready, I mean how does one define ready, therefore now seemed the right time

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I could have told myself I was not ready for the races I did in Bloemfontein and East London, and waited maybe till next year, but I didn’t, my coach and I decided to go for it anyway, why, we would never have known if I was ready or not, but we did it, and even though I never got official points, a medal or crossed the finish line on the one, the“now” of it made sense, because the finish line and medal is not the complete journey, it’s just a sign of the conclusion of a race, it’s the courage to take on the “now moment” even when “ready” doesn’t fit into the picture.

What’s next on my race calendar, for the next few months, well in just over a week I take on the Suncity Sprint Triathlon, which is one of the last races of the season in South Africa. I have been looking into various races internationally and well always wanted to race the New York City Triathlon. Am I ready to go do my first international race out of South Africa, I have no idea but “now” is as good a time as any. I couldn’t think of a more exciting race at this point, I mean racing in the big apple, you know the city where people go find dreams right!!! Although am not looking for my dreams I am getting to live my dreams. So when is the now of this race, the 24^th July, 3 months’ time, which is 3 months to train, 3 months to close my eyes and know the now, and 3 months of finding some extra funds to do this race. If you feel at all like you would like to give funds towards my race costs for this race, please email me!!

"Nothing is impossible in this world. Firm determination, it is said, can move heaven and earth. Things appear far beyond one's power, because one cannot set his heart on any arduous project due to want of strong will. "

Yamamoto Tsunetomo

I had a dream last night that I had the word DETERMINATION tattooed on my forearm, I believe if we have a determined heart and spirit we can do anything we set our minds to, I can tell you there were moments in my races especially in the cycle part that all I wanted to do was stop, my arms were tired, I faced another hill to climb and then some wind to accompany the hill, and all I can muster up at those times is a deep felt belief of determination to keep going no matter what, even if I don’t feel ready!

Do you feel ready? No, well neither do I, but……………….

“It's a terrible thing, I think, in life to wait until you're ready. I have this feeling now that actually no one is ever ready to do anything. There is almost no such thing as ready. There is only now. And you may as well do it now. Generally speaking, now is as good a time as any.” 
― Hugh Laurie

Check my website out we are daring to inspire and be strong : www.daringinspiringstrong.com