Say Thank You

Page through a stack of Silent Sports magazines, and you will see a central theme running through every table of contents. The concept of “Athlete as Hero” is a thread that connects issues dating back to the magazine’s founding in 1984. We celebrate the achievements of victors, applaud the efforts of “back of the pack” finishers, and document the time spent in each athlete’s pain cave training for insert the name of an epic event here. We’ve published dozens of those stories over the years.

When we aren’t championing athletic achievements, we write about training programs, injury prevention, recovery tips, health advice, gear reviews, and profiles of races to enter in the coming season. All these stories centered around the athlete.

Ask anyone who has finished a hard race, and their answers will begin with a first-person perspective. “There I was…” and the tale recounts how the athlete overcame a challenge significant enough to threaten their ability to cross the finish line. We read the article to the last line and send a virtual high five to that athlete.

Those articles are worthy of our attention. The featured athlete’s stories inspire us, motivate us, and offer a glimpse of what’s possible when we commit time, resources, and mental energy to pursuing an athletically centered goal. Ten years ago, I wrote a series of articles about training for and competing in triathlons, culminating in two Ironman Wisconsin events. The feedback I received, without question, confirmed that readers are interested in these collections of articles.

There’s another important story thread that is too often overlooked. Go back to that athlete a few days later and ask them for more memories. Their stories will likely shift from their triumphs to the contributions of anonymous but enthusiastic volunteers.

The stories shift from how the athlete overcame an obstacle to how a neon T-shirt-clad volunteer stepped up to change the dynamic at a critical moment.

“She reached out as far as she could and put that water bottle right in my hand as I rode past. A perfect handoff.”

“Bonked and about to start crying when a volunteer handed me half a banana and whispered, “You’ve got this!” That was like rocket fuel to get me going again.”

“My chain broke! Damn! Then the sag wagon rolled by. The mechanic had me back pedaling in a few minutes.”

“My legs were cramping so badly I couldn’t reach down to fix my shoe laces. I never asked for their name, but they kneeled, tied my shoelaces, and tied both of them, in fact. Sent me off with a smile and shouted, “Good luck.”

These are situations from my own experiences, but every athlete who has crossed a finish line can add their memory of a volunteer’s kind, thoughtful act of support.

Without these unsung heroes, most races simply won’t take place. Next time you line up at the start line of an event, think less about your time at the finish and more about the contributions of volunteers throughout the race that keep you safe on the course, hand you a water cup to keep you hydrated, an energy bar to keep you fueled, and lifted your spirits when fatigue threatened your progress. Without those volunteers, would your story end with a victory dance? Maybe not.

Don’t forget to say thank you.

ldzierzak@formula4media.com