Hi Everyone!
I have a really cool update that I wanted to share.
First, some brief backstory:
Paula Findlay and Eric Lagerstrom are both professional triathletes (really good ones). I’ve linked their Instagram accounts at the bottom, along with their PTO pages for anyone interested.
They have a brand called That Triathlon Life. It started as a weekly YouTube show (channel here), but has evolved into an apparel brand, and they also post a weekly podcast on top of the YouTube vlog.
The podcast is great, especially if you’re interested in triathlon. If you’re a cyclist, and need convincing to take time out of your day to watch something, their YouTube videos are fantastic to watch on the turbo.
Anyway, a few weeks ago, they announced that they were setting up a development team for seven* triathletes who are early in their professional careers. The aims being to support these athletes with kit, a financial stipend, and, most importantly, knowledge of the industry.
I applied for this opportunity – partly because I’m a fan, but largely to learn from the experience they’ve gained after so many years in the sport. I touched on the importance of branding and adding value to sponsors in a previous post (here). It’s an aspect of the sport I’m acutely aware of, and an area I am eager to develop.
You may have guessed by now, since I’ve written this post, but I am delighted to announce that I have been selected as one of those seven athletes!
I see this as an incredibly positive step in my career, and I’m now even more excited to begin racing as a professional.
I can’t wait to learn from Eric and Paula, [hopefully] meet the other athletes, and engage with the TTL community.
When I wrote my book, I set out with the goal of inspiring one person, or making at least one person laugh. If I can do that again through triathlon, then it will make a lot of the work worthwhile…
So, at the risk of sounding like a dick, I’m also very excited to share my journey with a larger audience.
Most of what I do is ultimately driven by intrinsic motivation, and finding purpose beyond myself is something that often crosses my mind. I would love to be able to contribute in some small way to the growth of this sport. Perhaps this is a step in the right direction.
I’ll leave it there. If you want to read more, somewhat related to this is a post I wrote about motivation, and the importance of remaining patient in the pursuit of long-term goals: here.
If anyone is interested in supporting the team, or the brand, head to this link.
I’m excited. Cheers for reading.
Tom
*it was initially announced as five athletes, but funding from the incredible community allowed TTL to select an additional two team members.
Eric Lagerstrom
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/eric_lagerstrom/
PTO: https://stats.protriathletes.org/athlete/eric-lagerstrom
Paula Findlay
Insta: https://www.instagram.com/paula_findlay/
PTO: https://stats.protriathletes.org/athlete/paula-findlay
Tom Davies RTW 