First off, for those that don’t know (aka my family readers) a Sherpa is an individual who carries bags, shoes, helmets, food, cameras, etc for races and big training sessions. They also serve as boo-boo fixers (yes, I just said that), moral supporters, fan bases, soundboards, and fake enthusiasts when we have exciting news regarding triathlon. Sometimes they are significant others, sometimes they are REALLY good friends, sometimes they are family members. You can have one, you can have three, you can have one for every day of the week. In short, they are the rocks behind the triathlete.
If you don’t have one, get one, if you have one, ya damn well better be treating them special because they are priceless (and no, I’m not in the doghouse with Britney). Which is why they deserve props in the blog world. So without further ado, I’m formally introducing you to my Sherpa.
This is my Sherpa Britney:
Relation to Triathlete: My better half.
Years as Sherpa: This will be her 3rd season.
Strengths as a Sherpa: She specializes in photography, although she can hold 4 bags like a pro, and deals with my race-day spasticness better than anyone else.
Weaknesses as a Sherpa: Getting up early (so I let her sleep in as late as possible and have coffee and breakfast ready for her), this also applies to everyday life.
Favorite Race to Sherpa: Hy-Vee (2009 Oly) because there was lots for her to do while I was gone.
Non-Triathlon Life: She is a Senior in college, majoring in Leisure, Youth and Human Services with an emphasis in Non-Profit Management. Currently she works at the Recycling and Reuse Technology Transfer Center (try saying that 5 times fast!), educating elementary kids about recycling.
Hobbies: Photography and crafting. And she’s started running and biking (yay!). She also enjoys driving me nuts and reading when she has time.
Random Fact: Her first name is “F”. Not kidding here. Her mother named her after her maternal grandmother but didn’t like the name Francis so she used the initial. Britney’s full name is F Britney Leigh Tonning (she has 4 initials just like me!).
Now it’s your turn to share about the Sherpas in your life. Show them love, show them respect…show them the money (not.)!
she sounds like a great sherpa! sounds like you compliment each other quite nicely. i have an awesome sherpa too...i have a wonderful sherpa myself and already dedicated an entire blog post to him. Lucky ducks we are!
ReplyDeleteOut of the gazillion blogs postings I have read, you are the second person to EVER write and dedicate a post to your sherpa. I applaud you for show casing your sherpa..... ok people looking at me weird, sitting down, one more clap for good measure
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post. I don't know how folks do tris, esp. half irons and iron tris, w/o out sherpas. I will write about mine soon. Interesting about the letter F being Brittany's first name!!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Way to recognize the efforts of those who are behind the scenes!
ReplyDeleteLOVE this post! Definitely a great way to recognize your sherpa - makes me realize I better recognize mine soon too! Cheers.
ReplyDelete