Julie Moss, the one

Julie Moss, the One

by Christophe Croze, QK Chris and Rogue Coe, jan 2017 

 

I must say that I am proud and excited to have been able to ask my questions to Julie. Julie is responsible for my passion for triathlon and she has been in my life many times. From a sporting point of view, it was thanks to Julie that I discovered the Triathlon, but it was also thanks to Julie and her strength that I was able to face certain events in life. I did not know Julie before my questions; I realized that the woman was above the legend. Julie is extraordinary of kindness and extremely zen. Read the text of Julie, it is to dream and to hope, It does good to the soul.

 

 

 

 

 

Franck : Everything is extraordinary in 1982 for your first triathlon distance to Kona. Have you prepared yourself for such a long trial? 

Julie : I did not take the 1982 Ironman very seriously. I had watched the 1981 race on ABC Wide World of Sports and thought that the distances was ridiculous but the Big Island of Hawaii was beautiful. I needed a Senior Project to graduate from college and I impulsively thought why not enter the Ironman.I was not a competitive athlete of any kind and the only sport I pursued was surfing,I certainly had never gone the Ironman distance for a single swim, bike , or run when I entered the race.Because I didn't understand what it took to train for an endurance event on the scale of Ironman, I didn't take the training very seriously either. I procrastinated for months and it wasn't until I has a progress report due for my Senior Project that I finally started to train. It was only 2 months before the Feb 6th race date when I finally committed to training. I did exactly what you should not do, I trained intensely for 2 months tight up to race day with no taper. 

 

Franck : Can you sum up the triathlon in three words?  

Julie : In the purest sense triathlon is: Swim/bike/run but to sum up the Ironman Triathlon in Kona, I would say Commit/Endure/Conquer 

 

Franck : What is your best memory of triathlon?  

Julie : Up to this point I would say putting my hand across the line at the 1982 Ironman. However I will be racing in Kona this year at the 2017 race to celebrate 35 years in the sport and I plan on making it my most memorable triathlon experience ever.

 

Franck : You are a great athlete, you have won several long distance triathlons. Does kona 1982 do not take too "big place" in your career? 

Julie : In the long run, the impact of my finish in the 1982 Ironman was far more influential in defining the Ironman experience than the impact of winning any of the other races in my career.

Franck : There are plenty of anecdotes about your race in Kona. Can you tell us one? Julie : Ha Ha I think I will save those anecdotes for my new book, "Crawl of Fame" that will be published in 2017. I will tell you that I remember every moment of that final 1/2 mile of 1982 like it was yesterday. The more my body failed the more I had to go within myself. What I discovered was an untapped wealth of will and courage within. The Ironman stripped me to my core and it's at your core you find out who you really and what you're truly capable of. 

 

 

 Franck : Your profession is related to sport. You are a sport legend. What is the role of sport in your life?  

Julie : I am happy to say that being an athlete is once again a role that I am embracing with all my heart. In the very present tense, I am pleased to be a new ambassador for the running shoe company, HOKA ONE ONE, so in that sense I'm a professional athlete again.I am training for a very big triathlon year. To prepare for that I will run a trail marathon on Jan 14 and then a trail 50K on Feb 4th. (Trails are easier on older knees) Once I have completed those races and have miles under my legs I will focus on Ironman CA 70.3 April 1st, followed by a Ironman Texas on April 22nd.The second half of my year will all point to Kona.I believe in setting goals that require a deep level of commitment. Your goal should inspire you to get out of bed each day with the desire to take that one next step to get closer to your goal. That being said my 35th Anniversary Ironman goal is to go as fast or FASTER than I went in 1982. I am training to go 11:10 at almost 59 years old. Funny that time might not even get me on the podium in my age group. However, I am not competing against anyone but rather once again celebrating the deep connection that comes when you are at your limit and allow yourself to be stripped down to your most vulnerable and find the courage to take that next step, then the next, until you reach the finish line. I want to know that pure sense of self that comes with an Ironman.Discovering that sense of self and self-worth that comes from within has always been the role sport has played in my life past and present.

 

Franck : You have had a major role in the development of triathlon. What advice would you give to a young beginner?  

Julie : There is a concept in Zen Buddhism meaning "beginner's mind". It refers to having an attitude of openness, positivity, eagerness, and lack of preconceptions when studying a subject, even when studying at an advanced level, just as a beginner in that subject would. That is the best advice I can give to a begging triathlete or even a very experienced one, stay open. It was my beginners mind that allowed me to have the iconic race I had in 1982. With only a couple months of training my only asset was my positive attitude and lack of fear. Your first triathlon should be fun and at some point when it stops being fun, YES, in every triathlon there's a point where it is not fun, then just stay positive and remember no one forced you to enter and it will be over soon!Oh and don't start off with the Ironman distance ha ha. 

 

Franck : The strong images of your finnish have been around the world. In 1997 wendy Ingraham and Sian Welch finished their triathlon dramatically, also Paula Newby Frazier. Do you think that women are mentally stronger for these events?  

Julie : I think the women you mentioned are all amazing women in addition to being world class triathletes, all of whom I am lucky to call my friends. Are they mentally stronger than men? Hmmmm I don't think that is a fair statement. I was with Mark Allen for his entire triathlon career and I've never known a stronger mind when It comes to racing Ironman. I would say that as women are narrowing the gap on the men in endurance events like Ironman and Ultra Running which could suggest we have a physiology that may be better suited for the long haul. 

 

Franck : In 1982. The place of women in sport and in life was not the same as today Do you think that your determination has changed attitudes? 

Julie : Yes, I think my finish in 1982 exemplifies that determination is not about gender but about heart.And Ironman racing is less about finishing first and more about finding the heart to finish, I am very proud of the fact that my debut Ironman inspired the Ironman creedo of "Just Finishing is a Victory"

 

Franck : What do you think about triathlon today? Is it still an adventure or a simple sport?  

Julie : The sport of triathlon today is multifaceted. It is both simple sport and adventure.You can choose to concentrate on a specific distance like the men and women who chase the Olympic dream, or you can enter a "simple"sprint for fun or enter a relay to have a taste of triathlon. Eventually some will shoot for the holy grail of triathlon, Ironman.Personally I like the adventure of training for an Ironman and as I write this, I am completely in the love with Ironman adventure I'm embarking on this coming year. Everyday is new, everyday is demanding, and everyday I have to go within myself and rely on my best self even if it's only for a brief moment or so. It's those moments add up and propel a simple sport above and beyond into the realm of a life-changing adventure.It is my sincere wish that everyone has the opportunity to experience a sport that will strip them down to their beautiful core.

#hokaoneone, #juliemoss, #triathlon, #legendtriathlonportrait

Gordon Haller, the First

Gordon Haller, The First

By Christophe Croze, QK Chris and Rogue Coe, nov 2016

 

Franck : Can you define triathlon in 3 words? 

Gordon : Discipline, reflective, fun

 

Franck : What is your best memory of triathlon?  

Gordon : In the first Ironman, I was running with two friends over the last 5 miles. We were running very fast, sub-6:00. We crested the last hill on Diamond Head when I first saw the finish line lights a mile away. I knew I had it won then and cruised to the finish. They asked me if I was in the race. When I said "Yes.” They said, "Well, you're done." That was it.

 

 

 Franck : Are you the first Kona triathlon winner? Can you tell us about this triathlon? Gordon : I was the first Ironman winner, but it was in Honolulu, not Kona. The race moved to Kona after 3 years on Oahu. Most people don't know that the 1980 race on Oahu and the 1981 race in Kona were not called the Ironman. They were called the "Nautilus International Triathlon." I have the T-shirts to prove it. Nobody wanted to be a Nautilus, so they changed it back to Ironman.

 

Franck : Do you think that triathlon is still an adventure or a simple sport of endurance?  

Gordon : It depends on the person, where she or he is in their triathlon experience. For first-timers it's an adventure. Later it becomes a journey, then a life style. Some races are created to provide greater challenges than a flat, fast sprint triathlon. People are always looking for a greater challenge.

 

Franck : Bicycles and running shoes have evolved. What do you think of this evolution?  

Gordon : I am proud that our creation has led to improved technology in bicycles and other athletic gear. I wish we had this stuff when I was a competitive athlete. My legs might be so beat up.

 

Franck : You participated in 16 Ironman races in Hawaii. How is this race different from others? Gordon : Oahu 1978-1980; Kona 1981-1989, 1998, 2003, 2010, 2013; Maui 1995,1996,1998; Japan 1985, Canada 1986; Lanzarote 2013. It was the first Ironman, not the first “triathlon”, but because it was in an exotic place, it captured the imagination of a lot of people who were looking for a challenge. I think it also started the concept of a racing vacation or destination race. 

 

Franck : You said that the Hawaii triathlon was done (created) for you. Can you explain why? Gordon : In 1977, I had been on the mainland racing. When I came back to Honolulu for the marathon in December, I had to drop out at about 6 miles due to sciatica. I happened to stop near a friend (I can't remember who) who was watching the race. He told me that there was a race that was invented for me. When he told me the idea, I said I could do that because that was what I did all the time for training. I had done several swim/run races and competed in Military Pentathlon (5 disciplines). I biked everywhere. As I mentioned above, for some people it is a life-style. It is my lifestyle.

 

Franck : I believe your last Ironman was in 2013. Will you comeback to Hawaii in 2018?  

Gordon : I am toying with doing it in 2017, but I will definitely be back in 2018 for the 40th anniversary!

 

Franck : Is it true that during a transition, you changed clothes in the hotel? 

Gordon : We weren't concerned with transition time in the first Ironman. The military hotel, the Hale Koa, was on the beach where we came out of the water. It seemed logical to go into the locker room, shower and change clothes before riding 112 miles. We wanted to be comfortable. In the bike/run transition, I jumped in the Aloha Tower fountain and changed into dry running clothes. I got a massage while doing an interview with the newspaper reporter while the leader was out running.

 

 

 Franck : The triathlon was anonymous. What was the event that made triathlon a popular sport?  

Gordon : You’re right. The first year, we got a paragraph mention at the back of Runner’s World Magazine. There were a couple of things that brought triathlon and the Ironman to the public’s attention. The first two years had small participation. After the second running in 1979, an article in Sports Illustrated, by Barry McDermott, caused the entries to jump from 15 to 105 in 1980. ABC Wide World of Sports filmed the 1980 race and participation jumped to over 300 in 1981. The biggest increase came after Julie Moss crashed and burned at the end of the first 1982 Ironman. Her finish replaced the ski jumper on Wide World of Sports as the "Agony of Defeat."

Fernanda Keller , the queen K

Fernanda Keller, The Queen K

By Christophe Croze, QK Chris and Rogue Coe, jan 2017

Fernanda Keller (born October 4, 1963) in Niterói, Brazil, is a professional triathlete. She is the first Brazilian triathlete to participate in the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.

Franck: Can you summarize the triathlon in 3 words?  

Fernanda: Triathlon is much more than sport for me it's my life and the life style I love.

Franck: You have participated 25 times in lronman of hawaii. Can you tell me how is this mythical triathlon?  

Fernanda: Ironman Hawaii is the best triathlon . The island and the hawaiian people. The most beautiful land .The most hard run .The annual world best triathletes meeting happens in kona

Franck: Would you do the Hawaii triathlon this year?  

Fernanda: I wll be back but I am not sure if 2017 or 2018. Now I am there just because I

credit photo Sergio Melo

love the fun.

Franck: What is your best memory of a triathlon? Fernanda: The 5 times I had won ironman brasil, the 6 times i was in the top 3 at kona ironman and the 14 times in the top 10 at kona ironman it was great memory

Franck: you started the triathlon at 19 years old. What made you start this sport?

Fernanda: There was no reason just the passion. At that time all we want to do was race fast and have lots of fun traveling around the world with a buch of friends from many different places .

Franck: You are nicknamed Queen K for your longevity in the triathlon. What would you say to a youngster starting triathlon?  

Fernanda: I better wish them a great journey and a an happy life doing sports with friends. Because at the very end friends are always the best part of it.

Franck: While speaking of young athletes, can you tell us about your foundation?  

Fernanda: it's has been 20 year sharing sport values with kids that can't afford to pay for doing sport sport it's great tool to change lifes and that's a dream when all my titles can worth for something better than just me.

Franck: You are a pioneer of the triathlon. What is your vision of today's triathlon? 

Fernanda: We have to learn and adapt every day we wake to the modern to keep us young. It's very different in many aspects but at the end we all are going swim, bike and run as hard as we can. I just love to promote the triathlon life style and sport. I have a TVshow now and it's getting the attention of millions of people to our sport of triathlon.

Franck: You are also the queen of Brazil, thanks to your victory in your country. Is running in his country a motivation that has helped you won? 

Fernanda: Yes !! I love Brazil and racing here was always wild with so many people saying my name and cheering all the way. The victories were all for my family and the crowd.There's nothing better than have all the people for you and giving back winning. This is heaven!!

credit photo Sergio Melo

Franck: You are long distance physical is obvious important, but can tell us what is the importance of the mind?  

Fernanda: The mind is what makes the most important thing we need to move. The desire, if you have the desire you have it all.But needs to be a real one because the fake one makes you break.

Much love to you Franck.

Thank a lot Fernanda 

The photos are credit to Sergio Melo