You Have To Jump Before You Can See How High You can Fly

AS a kid i was always the last one to jump off the cliff into the water. I remember spending so many amazing summers with my family up in the Coromandal Kauronga valley hiking and playing in the rivers. There was always a cliff to climb and a vanatge point to jump off from into the deep clear water below. I used to love the adventure of climbing and exploring and getting up to the high points but my stomach used to sink when the inevitable suggestions of "lets jump" were brought up by my companions. I used to politely let them all jump off one by one as i watched in envy of there courage and enjoyment of the thrill of the jump. I on the other hand would spend ages up there plucking up the courage to actually make the all important first step off and commit to the jump... the free fall the lack of control over my situation..... I was always curious and wanted to jump as i had seen the excitmenmt and thrill of the others as they confidently leaped off..... but the fear of that first step was always so hard to over come. I used to get lots of encouragment and support from below.. numerous count dwons, but yet if i actully did jump it was usually after everyone else had given up and moved on to other fun things. SO when I finally plucked up the courage to jump it was quite often unnoticed and in the back round. It was to prove nothing to anyone but myself. By the time i had jumped I had done alot of work in my head plucking up the courage to leap into the unknowen. the exhilleration of hitting the water was always amazing but not so much the actual thrill of the jump but the smile within myself that i had had the courage to do it. I would love to say that i am now full of courage and ready to jump into anything and i know as i have gone through many things in life I feel alot more confident and thrive on pushing my bodies limits and venturing into new and exciting opportunities, however still to this day the most challenging part of any adventure is the first step. The fact of actually getting on the plane... of leaving..... or in terms of my sport Triathlon, getting through and embracing the start of the swim, the part of the race where one has i think the least control.... can feel the most vulnerable. So it is in these circumstances that I remind myself that you have to jump before you can see how high you can fly. I have to get through the swim start of any race if i want to see how fast i can bike and run, i have to actully get on the plane and leave before i can give myself the oppotunity to live my dreams and race professionally in the international half ironman circiut. It takes courage, faith and trust to take that first step and to then follow through, but it also takes consistent support and encouragment from a close network of people around you. So before i continue the rest of these blog entries about my training, racing and aventures as a professional traiathlete i want to take the time to sincerely thank that very special network of people that I am so blessed to have around me and whom are an integral part of the team that is and has at many times, given me the support to jump.....live and pursue my dreams and see how far and how high I can Fly...... huge thank you to my Mum and my Dad and my Partner Marc. (as a side note in a conversation with 2 other kiwi triathletes about sponsorship, one of them admitted his main sponsors were his Mum and Dad and then both of us smiled and agreed, .... the coment made was no one wants to admit it but none of us would be here without mum and dad)