3rd in Tuscaloosa

As some of you may have already heard (or seen, in the case of my amazingly supportive family), I finished third in the Olympic Trials event this past Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. While only the first woman across the line, Julie Swail, made the Olympic Team, I still have a chance to make the team at the Hy-Vee World Cup in June. In order to do so, I must be the first American overall. Although this is not an easy task, as the other women will certainly be geared up to take home a chunk of the impressive prize purse, making the Olympic Team is still a possibility. In the meantime, I have some serious work to do!

Overall, the race went well and gave me an indication of the great things to come this season. While I may have done some things differently (as my friend says, hindsight plays too big of a role in ITU racing), I am buoyed by the progress that I have made. After all, my greatest goal a few years ago was to qualify for Olympic Trials. Not only have I qualified for Trials, but I have developed into a contender! Sometimes we are too blinded in our disappointment in what we have not accomplished to fully embrace and acknowledge the achievements that we have made. Luckily for me, I had my family and friends present (Mom, Dad, Grandma, Adam, Lauren (with baby in utero), Clay, Aunt Denise, Uncle Howie, Uncle Kirk, Todd, Kyly, Katie (also w/ baby in utero) Doug, Mary, Siri, Nikki and others) to celebrate with me and to remind me of how far I've come in the sport. While my group may not have been as large as the Haskins/ Kortuem contingent, the Groff fan club presence was definitely felt with their exuberance and awesome t-shirts. My family is the best for coming from all over the US to stand out in the heat and cheer me on!

Thanks to everyone who has given me their support leading up to and at this race! Keep it comin'- we still have another chance to make the team!

With love,
Sarah

looking back and looking ahead...

Back in January 2005, my dad and I drove together from Cooperstown to Boulder, braving wind storms and blizzards along the way. When the monotony of the Kansas plains started to take its toll, we started to look to the horizon for the Rocky Mountains. Finally, we saw a faint strip of blue: the promise of my new home, Boulder, and my new life as a triathlete. For the next few hours, I had to keep my anxiety and excitement in check, as we still had to brave the plains of Eastern Colorado.

Over 3 years later and a few days away from Olympic Trials, I can't help but think of this experience and be reminded of the risks that I took and the hardships that I've faced in order to be where I am as an athlete, on the brink of qualifying for the Olympic Games (only a very distant dream a few years ago!). Looming in the distance, I know that something great is in store for me. While I would love to qualify for the Olympics this weekend, I can't help but feel that the most important part is the journey, taking risks and facing my fear head-on. That being said, think of me on Saturday and send some positive energy my way!