Once upon a time there lived a princess. She was raised by the King and Queen in a humble castle surrounded by green lawns and big shade trees. The couple ensured that the princess had not only her physical needs met, but her emotional needs as well. They reminded her daily, "you can do anything you want to do!" and she believed them. Throughout her life she tested their promise and proved it over and over again to be valid.
When she was young, she imagined herself a cheerleader. Standing on the sidelines under the Friday night lights with her closest friends having fun, laughing, and making memories. Though she was not the most talented, she worked hard and tried out. Her spirit could not be matched and she was granted membership to the team.
As she worked her way through school, she dreamed of becoming a veterinarian. She chose the right classes, worked hard, and one day had completed her requirements for admission. She took a leap of faith and submitted the application. A few months later she received the phone call, she was to start veterinary school in the fall.
Life went on, and the princess got busy and a little overwhelmed. For a short time she got bogged down and forgot who she was. She forgot that she could do anything, and so she did nothing. One day she woke up, as if from a horrible nightmare, and realized that she was missing out on life. She didn't know what to do, and so she ran. She ran at first to escape from a life that she didn't recognize. And then she ran because it reinforced in her the belief that she could do anything.
She ran, and every day, the world looked a little bit brighter and little by little she remembered what the King and Queen had taught her. One day her running shoes seemed a little bit worse for the wear and so she wandered into a running specialty store in search of a new pair. She left that day with a new pair of running shoes, and a handsome prince by her side.
The prince and princess would journey through life together discovering new adventures and pushing the boundaries of what they believed was possible. Together the turned their love of running into a pursuit of the sport of triathlon, and they excelled. They traveled all over the country racing in this sport that had captured their hearts. The prince was very good. He earned a chance to race in the World Championships, and honor the princess never dreamed could be possible for herself.
Together they journeyed to the Big Island where this legendary race took place. That fall, she had her own race planned 6 weeks later and so continued her training on the island. After a very long, very hot, and very trying bike ride on the World Championship course she declared that she NEVER wanted to compete in this race. EVER!
The prince finished the race, and would go back to race a second time years later. This time the princess had a bit more training experience under her belt. She didn't take her bike, but rather ran and swam on the course. She rented a stand-up paddle board, and would spend hours cruising up and down the coastline lost in her own thoughts. It was there that she gave up her previous negative thoughts about herself and decided that she would, in fact, like to race in the World Championships.
She did some research and came across a program, called the Legacy, which allowed any athlete who had completed 12 Ironman events to enter a special lottery. She decided that if she was physically able to complete 12 races, that surely, she could survive the World Championship course. And so it came to pass that the princess entered 6 races over the next 2 years to finish out her requirement for the Legacy Program.
But something unexpected and wonderful happened along the way. The princess got stronger and faster. And the stronger and faster she got, the more she began to believe in herself. And when the 12 events were done, she no longer wanted to go to the World Championships on a lottery ticket. She wanted to qualify. She wanted to earn her slot. And belong to the mass of people lined up in the water when the cannon sounds on that early October morn.
The princess knows the work that will be required to achieve a goal of this magnitude. But she is not afraid. She knows that heart will trump talent, and that if she works hard and wants this just a little bit more than the next girl, that one day she will see her dream come true. And so it was with great courage and strength that the princess brushed aside all doubt, and stood on the mountain top with her bike raised above her head, to announce to the world....
I dream of finding Kona.
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