By Steve Lackey
After four years, and nine individual events, I still get chills witnessing the women who take on our Ramblin’ Rose Women Only Triathlon cross the finish line. If you’ve seen it yourself, you know what I mean (and if you have yet to, see below for our 2010 dates).
Regardless of venue, the scene is truly inspiring, and producing these events creates a huge sense of pride among our team. I was asked recently why I chose to create an event specifically for women since I was, well, not one. Laughing, I replied that I’ve known a few women and spend time with some who are extremely important to me. Through these experiences I’ve grown to understand that even these days, women appreciate support—not that they can’t do it all, but they still like to be treated with thoughtfulness and reminded that they are special and unique. Above all, women want to be appreciated for who they are and all they do (of course, I have yet to come across a man who doesn’t crave these things, but we’ll discuss that at another time).
Moreover, with so much on their respective plates, it’s a gift to participate in an event where no one needs anything from them. Where, in fact, everything is provided for them and they are treated with an attention akin to professional athletes. As they train, and when they race, these women find a freedom in being who they are and cultivate an internal confidence beyond that which any outsider could provide.
These women celebrate their empowerment, as do our team and the thousands of spectators (about five for every participant) who come out on race day. Afterward, you can see finishers with their training partners, friends, families, and fellow triathletes, and it’s clear they are now role models for everyone who knows them. Perhaps it’s a little more pressure than they had before, but it seems welcome based on the glowing smiles of pride on their faces.
We are opening up online registration for the 2010 Ramblin’ Rose Women Only Triathlon Tour on December 1, a month earlier than normal. The 2010 Tour will start in Raleigh on May 23 at the A. E. Finley YMCA, then head down to the Rock Hill (SC) YMCA on July 11, over to Winston-Salem’s YWCA on August 22, to Charlotte’s Huntersville Family Fitness and Aquatics Center on September 26, and it wraps up in Chapel Hill on October 10 at the UNC Wellness Center at Meadowmont. A total of 3,500 women are expected to race in 2010, and I look forward to seeing each of them cross the finish line.
Influencing families. Enabling communities. Creating role models—3,500 of them to be exact. It’s what we do.
Inspire. Perform. Endure.
Follow me on Twitter @stevelackey and get all the latest from Endurance Magazine @enduranceonline. Make sure to visit www.ramblinroseevents.com for online registration and Ramblin’ Rose Women Only Triathlon Tour updates.
