Zach Eagle
Triathlon Competitor
When I began my triathlon journey in 2015, the Ironman World Championship in Kona was always my big goal. I grew up watching the broadcast on NBC, and in my head I knew I was going to do whatever it took to get there. I was looking for a new challenge in college after playing soccer all of my life, so I thought this was the perfect time to dive in and commit everything to my goal. I had never swum a lap in my life and biking consisted of hour spin classes at the local gym.
I jumped on YouTube in an attempt to learn to swim, and slowly upgraded my bike situation from a road bike with clip-on aerobars to a suitable triathlon bike. The time finally came in 2017 to qualify for Kona at Ironman Louisville. I ended up having the day of my life, winning my age group, and accomplishing the ultimate goal.
However, four weeks before Kona in October 2018, I had pre-compartment syndrome and couldn’t run. I wasn’t certain I would even make it to the starting line after working so hard to get there. I dealt with stress fractures, ruptured ligaments, and a litany of other various overuse injuries that endurance athletes face during their journey. Many of them came at inopportune times.
Always remember: you have control of two things in life—your attitude and effort. Always stay positive and take things one step and mile at a time.