MCC Tucson Camp Wrap Up- by Sue Aquila

Living the dream

Grit happens.  And sometimes in the most surprising places.  Our Marilyn Chychota Coaching triathlon camps are an opportunity to find out who you are. And who you are not.  

Are you an athlete that embraces climbing a mountain on your bike despite the absolute terror of your first descent?  When the going gets tough, will you eat the crappy tasting gel to make it strong to the finish?  If your teammate decides to race the last hour of a six hour ride, do you go full gas to beat them?   When the Olympian coaching your swim tells you that you have a long swim set where you won’t slow down while swimming hard 200’s, do you get out of the pool?  If two pros and a national champion invite you into a counter-clockwise rotating pace line at 25+ miles per hour, do you say yes?  When you are the slowest cyclist at camp and a coach rides with you every pedal stroke of the way, do you dig deeper and keep going?  

I started attending camps 10 years ago.  I was the slowest and least athletic of the group.  Our coaches were patient to a point.  They did not care if I was slow. They cared if I tried.  And I tried all over the place. I ended the camp exhilarated, exhausted and committed to being better.  

Today I am honored to serve as our MCC Camp Director and coach.  I am proud that we create a safe environment for athletes to exceed their abilities. We leave no athlete behind regardless of their ability.  Sometimes an athlete fails a workout in the process.  And when they fail, it is inspiring to see them dust themselves off and try again.  Failure is acceptable.  Cracking is not!  

Our camp attracts the best and people who want to be their best.  Our camp creates lifetime friendships and people who will inspire us for a lifetime.  At the end of camp, we become a band of people who laugh until we cry, regale each other with stories and digest a margarita or two.  We came to camp as individuals and we left as a team.  

This week there was no easy way.  Until next year, go get your races!  It is a choice and you chose well all week.  Keep living the dream and never die wondering!

--Sue