November 2, 2009
Karen R.


Austin and the Longhorn Ironman 70.3 triathlon. Our A race, chosen many months ago and with many shorter races and rehearsals in between. Race organizers welcomed us, supported us, answered countless e-mails on topics special to us, wrote about TeamWILD in the athlete’s guide and most of all put on a great event. As the inaugural event for the team, Austin holds a special spot in this team member’s heart.


WILD Women do and they don’t regret it--from the song Wild Women Do and one which has played over, over, and over again in my head this year. We did this. Yes, Karen L., we did this. She kept repeating this to me at the end of the race between bites of fajitas and again later that night, each time with a huge smile on her face.

Endurance and energy—needed to complete the 70.3 miles. Our training plan and carbs provided what we’d need to complete this event. So did Energizer bunny aka Coach Yoli, everywhere on the course cheering us on.

Supporters—family, friends, Tony, Keith, Ken, Doug, Nicole, Celeste, Yoli, Marcey, and Dr. Matt were all there to cheer us on, build bikes, drive us and our bikes everywhere, fund our efforts and be there when we needed you the most. We love you all, not just our diabetes educator!

Outreach—on the bike, on the run, and sometimes in the swim corral, we were recognized as WILD team members and cheered for. WILD -- the word is out. To women reading this, lurking in cyberspace, wondering can I do what they did? Should I join this fabulous team? Absolutely, and yes, you should.

Mari—This team exists and we are on this team because of her infectious energy. This would not have come together without her. Her vision, commitment, passion, and dedication inspire me to work harder this next year to promote and compete for WILD.

Empowering—Walking somewhere between the 2nd and 3rd lap of the run, I was behind two women and heard one comment, “What a humbling experience today has been.” Humbling, I thought, was not the word I would use to describe the day. At that particular moment I felt so empowered by seeing all my teammates on the course and by remembering all the training and everything else we had accomplished to get to this wonderful day and race.

AWESOME--Countless times I’ve heard this word. We are an AWESOME team of women. Go TeamWILD.